US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to encourage Israel to de-escalate major combat operations in Gaza during his visit on Monday. France, the UK, and Germany, close allies of Israel, have joined global calls for a ceasefire. Israeli protesters demand talks with militants after three hostages were accidentally killed while waving a white flag. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to defeat Hamas, release hostages, and end the war. The US, while supporting Israel, presses for precision in operations to minimize civilian impact. Over 18,700 Palestinians killed, and pressure for a ceasefire intensifies. Austin's visit marks a pivotal moment.

Iran and Hezbollah were behind an attempted cyber-attack on Israel's Ziv Medical Center during the 'Iron Swords' war, Israel claimed. The attack, orchestrated by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence involving Hezbollah's 'Lebanese Cedar' cyber unit, aimed to disrupt hospital operations but failed due to coordinated intervention by the Israel National Cyber Directorate, the IDF, and the Israeli Security Agency. Sensitive data was stolen and published online before prompt removal. The AGRIUS group affiliated with Iran's intelligence agency attempted the attack in late November 2023 on the northern Israel hospital to impact its functions amid the conflict. Though hospital operations were protected, some data was extracted before the Israeli agencies thwarted a major disaster.

Israeli soldiers admitted to accidentally killing three hostages in Gaza, Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26, had used leftover food to create signs pleading for help while holding a white flag. The IDF admitted to the breach of "rules of engagement" in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. The hostages, seized during Hamas attacks, attempted to signal their distress. The IDF stated uncertainty about whether the captors abandoned or the hostages escaped. With about 120 hostages still held in Gaza, families call for a new truce, while Israel faces international pressure for a ceasefire.

"A rape is a rape, even when it is committed by a man on his wife," the Gujarat High Court observed, stating that the silence around sexual violence against women in India needs to be broken. Justice Divyesh Joshi said actual incidents of such violence are "probably much higher" than what data shows, and women face hostility and violence in the environments they inhabit. He slammed social attitudes that trivialize and even romanticize stalking, assault, and harassment as "minor," saying they have a "lasting and pernicious effect on the survivors." The court made the observations while denying bail to a woman accused of subjecting her daughter-in-law to cruelty while her husband and son raped and filmed her. "A man is a man; an act is an act; rape is a rape, be it performed by a man, the 'husband', on the woman, 'wife'," it stated.

Oil giant BP announces a temporary halt to all Red Sea oil shipments due to escalating Houthi attacks on vessels. The move follows a Royal Navy warship downing a suspected attack drone. Evergreen Line joins the precaution, redirecting container ships until further notice. The Red Sea, a vital route for oil and goods transport, faces heightened risks. Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, target ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. BP emphasizes safety concerns, while major shipping firms like Maersk and MSC divert routes. The situation prompts a pause in shipments by Hapag-Lloyd and CMA-CGM.

In a commendable effort, the Chinar Warriors of the Indian Army rescued over 60 tourists on Saturday, including women and children, stranded in the snow-clad beauty of Gulmarg, Kashmir. Intense snowfall had left them trapped, prompting the Army to provide heating arrangements, sleeping bags, and hot meals to ease their ordeal. Gulmarg, a renowned tourist destination, transformed into a winter wonderland after the fresh snow. The Chinar Warriors, part of the Indian Army's Chinar Corps, have consistently aided the valley's residents, including organizing medical camps and assisting the fire department in recent incidents.

Sunil Gavaskar expresses optimism about the Mumbai Indians' future, stating, "Hardik Pandya's captaincy will bring fresh ideas to the team." Gavaskar highlights concerns over Rohit Sharma's recent dip in batting contributions, suggesting a potential correlation with his extended leadership roles. "Earlier, there used to be a lot of contributions (with the bat) from Rohit, but in the last few years, they have finished at number 9 or 10," observes Gavaskar. As the IPL 2024 approaches, the decision to appoint Hardik as captain is seen as a strategic move to infuse innovation and revitalize the team's performance.

In an unprecedented move, 79 MPs were suspended on Monday for protests demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the security breach in Parliament last week. This includes 30 Lok Sabha and 35 Rajya Sabha members suspended for the full winter session. Another 14 MPs were already suspended last week over the issue, taking the total count to 92. The suspended Lok Sabha MPs comprise top Congress leaders like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi. Trinamool MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saugata Ray, and Satabdi Roy, and DMK members A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran are also on the list. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien had been suspended for seeking a discussion on the breach. The mass suspension comes as the opposition has been demanding answers over the major lapse in Parliament security.

The NIA on Monday said it has arrested 8 terrorists linked to an ISIS module in Karnataka's Ballari and foiled their plans to trigger IED blasts after raids in 19 locations across 4 states. Explosive materials like sulphur, and gunpowder were recovered along with weapons, documents with details on proposed strikes, and digital devices. Leader of the Ballari module Minaz, also known as Mohammed Sulaiman, is among those held in the operations that were carried out in Ballari, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Jharkhand's Bokaro. Caches of explosives, sharp weapons, and cash were seized. This was a major anti-terror crackdown by NIA and cops on ISIS elements who were at the preparatory stage of bomb strikes during the winter holidays.

Indian authorities and intelligence agencies are keeping a close watch on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, reportedly been admitted to a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. He is rumoured to have been poisoned. According to media reports, Dawood Ibrahim is the only patient on the hospital floor where he has been admitted. Only senior authorities of the hospital and Dawood's close family members have access to the floor. This isn't the first rumour of Dawood's declining health or death. Previous claims of him contracting COVID-19 or having a heart attack were rejected by his gang who asserted he was alive. The 1993 Mumbai blasts mastermind was declared a 'global terrorist' by India and the US in 2003. With his life shrouded in secrecy, his hospitalisation has once again sparked speculation on his health and whereabouts.