Israel has restarted ground operations in Gaza as a temporary ceasefire with Hamas concluded, with no agreement for an extension from either side. Prior to the ceasefire expiration, Israel intercepted a rocket from Gaza, and reports of explosions and gunfire in northern Gaza surfaced. The seven-day ceasefire, extended twice, facilitated the release of 105 hostages in Gaza and 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israel, along with humanitarian aid entry. Efforts by Qatar and Egypt to prolong the truce intensified after a recent exchange of hostages and prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's adviser expressed readiness for various scenarios, stating, "We're ready for all possibilities."

Three men have been arrested in Missouri for allegedly kidnapping a 20-year-old Indian student, forcibly confining him for months, and physically abusing him. The victim was forced to work at three homes belonging to lead suspect Venkatesh R Sattaru, a wealthy Indian-American IT professional with political connections in India. The suspects used extreme physical violence to coerce the victim into laboring at the homes without pay, bathroom access, or adequate food, sleep, or medical care. The victim eventually escaped and is recovering in a hospital, while the suspects are jailed without bond due to risk of flight. (Reprensentative Image)

In a landmark event, the Australian and Indian High Commissions co-hosted the inaugural Indo-Pacific Conference in London, assembling experts to fortify regional resilience. Officials explored joint strategies to boost ties and address security threats across the Indo-Pacific. Australian High Commissioner Stephen Smith stressed building relationships with Indian Ocean islands to counter China. Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami emphasized providing “opportunities for everybody to partner” for regional prosperity and progress. Speakers like Simon Gass and Ashok Malik examined collaboration in spheres like technology and maritime security. The timely event highlighted the UK’s strategic interest in developing an Indo-Pacific presence, said James Rogers of the Council on Geostrategy. Together, India, Australia and the UK aim to provide alternatives to China’s regional dominance.

Vicky Kaushal delivers a stellar performance in 'Sam Bahadur,' a biopic on India's first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw. The film, directed by Meghna Gulzar, receives mixed reviews as it grapples with striking a balance between fact and fiction. Despite substantial material, the narrative's broad strokes and a focus on Kaushal overshadow the depth of Manekshaw's life. While the film seamlessly blends duty and patriotism, critics note its lack of innovation. Kaushal's intense portrayal stands out, surpassing even his performance in 'Sardar Udham.' The movie sets a high standard for the genre but faces challenges in navigating the delicate line between reality and dramatization.

Ranbir Kapoor-starrer crime drama 'Animal', directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, has released in theatres today amid high expectations despite its runtime of over 3 hours and 'A' certificate. As per trade analysts, the film is headed for Ranbir's biggest opening powered by tremendous hype, especially among youth audiences for the massy entertainer. Despite limited screens due to length, it has already earned Rs 34 crores in advance booking, a record for a Hindi film in North America. Critics and fans are calling Animal a terrific, engaging film with Ranbir's charged up performance, though some have issues with the violence depicted. Overall, box office prospects seem extremely bright for this action spectacle headlined by Ranbir in a bold, intense avatar.

The NSE Nifty 50 index surged to a new record high, reaching 20,238.45, a 0.52% increase, while the S&P BSE Sensex rose 0.44% to 67,286.16, driven by faster-than-expected economic growth in India's September-quarter, expanding at 7.6%. Analysts, including Pramod Gubbi from Marcellus Investment Management, cite positive growth outlook, government capex initiatives, and the perception of the US interest rate cycle peaking as contributing factors. November marked the best month for Nifty and Sensex in 2023, propelled by foreign portfolio investor inflows. Analysts anticipate a potential market rally with a decisive BJP win in state elections, reinforcing 2024 prospects.

Thirteen schools in Bengaluru received bomb threats via email on Friday morning, prompting urgent police action. The emails claimed explosives were planted in the school premises. Police were alerted immediately and launched searches across the schools but no suspicious objects have been found so far. As precaution, schools notified parents advising that students will be dispersed given the threat and priority accorded to safety. Last year too seven Bengaluru schools had received similar hoax bomb threat emails. With memories of recent tragic blasts fresh, police are investigating today's threats seriously though previous cases proved untrue. Alarm has spread in Bengaluru over the disturbing emails targeting school children.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, addressing the alleged involvement of an Indian official in a foiled plot to murder Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US, expressed seriousness and welcomed India's investigation. Blinken stated, "We look forward to seeing the results." White House spokesperson John Kirby underscored the significance of the US-India strategic partnership while emphasizing a serious approach to the allegations. India has initiated a probe into the matter, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi expressing concern. Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta faces charges related to the murder-for-hire plot, aiming at multiple politically motivated assassinations.

As exit polls predicted a Congress upsurge dethroning KCR's BRS in its bastion Telangana, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor termed it a "superb turnaround". The polls unanimously give Congress an edge, some projecting a majority, with BRS relegated to second spot. State Congress chief Revanth Reddy predicts over 80 of 119 seats. BRS leader KTR slammed surveys airing while voting was on as "illogical" and "ludicrous", dismissing them as "nonsense" and asserting BRS' return. India TV-CNX predicted 63-79 seats for the Congress, 31-47 for the BRS and two to four for the BJP. The P-Marq poll gave 58-71 to the Congress, 37-51 to the BRS. News 24-Today’s Chanakya gave 71 to the Congress and 33 to the BRS. TV9 Bharatvarsh Polstrat projected that Congress would get 49-59 and the BRS 48-58 in a close fight. The ABP-C Voter poll gave 49-65 to the Congress, 38-54 to the BRS and five to 13 to the BJP. The surprise Telangana projections come after years of BRS dominance since the state was formed. 

The Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, where workers were recently rescued after being trapped post-collapse, had witnessed around 19-20 minor to medium cave-ins earlier while under construction over 5 years. NHIDCL officials attribute it to challenging area geology containing brittle rocks, terming collapses normal though impact was greater this time with workers trapped. A 160-260 meter stretch was marked as high-risk 'red zone'. An anonymous official confirmed past cavity collapses and rock issues posing construction hurdles, as noted by the European designing consultant too. Ultimately rescuers broke through to workers stuck for 17 days and brought them out through an escape pipe passage.