India's military base in Mauritius, constructed on Agalega Island, is close to completion, aimed at countering China's influence in the Indian Ocean. Concurrently, Indian Naval Ship Sharda docked in Port Louis to commemorate Aapravasi Diwas, signaling increased bilateral cooperation. New Delhi is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for launching an earth observation satellite in Mauritius. The strategic base's progress raises regional tensions, with opposition in Mauritius questioning sovereignty. India emphasizes enhancing Mauritius' maritime security, yet its strategic significance is evident amid rising geopolitical concerns in the region.

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a notice to Apple, demanding evidence to support their assertion of a 'state-sponsored attack.' This move comes after opposition leaders, including prominent figures, received alerts from Apple about potential compromise attempts on their iPhones. The IT Ministry has sought clarification on how Apple determined the attack's nature and the risk of remote access and data leakage. Opposition members have raised cybersecurity concerns, prompting scrutiny. The issue has sparked political debates, with the government facing questions and demands for parliamentary committee investigations. [ Photo courtesy: screengrab from ANI/X ]

Nandini Das has won the 11th British Academy Book Prize for her work 'Courting India: England, Mughal India, and the Origins of Empire'. The prize worth £25,000 honors books furthering global cultural understanding. Das offers a new perspective on the British empire's origins by examining Sir Thomas Roe's ambassadorship to 17th century Mughal India. Das is a professor at Oxford whose research focuses on Renaissance travel writing. The judging panel praised her use of contemporary sources to vividly recount early Anglo-Indian encounters and emerging mutual understanding against a complex political backdrop.

President Joe Biden has urged for a temporary halt in the fighting in Gaza to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas, following Israeli airstrikes that have claimed nearly 200 lives in the Jabalia refugee camp. During a campaign fundraiser event, Biden responded to a rabbi's plea for a ceasefire, emphasizing the need for a pause to secure the prisoners' release. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with significant casualties reported, including civilians and Hamas fighters. Biden's call marks a subtle shift in the U.S. stance on the conflict, focusing on humanitarian concerns amidst ongoing violence.

A tornado warning was issued as Storm Ciarán, dubbed a "weather bomb", caused widespread disruptions in the UK. Hundreds of schools closed, flights were grounded, and train services heavily disrupted. Southeastern Railway advised people to avoid travel before 9am amid severe disruptions expected throughout Thursday. Major incidents were declared in Southampton, Isle of Wight, and Jersey as 70-80mph winds battered the south coast. The Met Office issued "danger to life" warnings as travel was disrupted across the land, air, and sea through Saturday.

The teaser for Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film Dunki was released on his 58th birthday. Dunki marks Khan's first on-screen collaboration with acclaimed director Rajkumar Hirani. The film co-stars Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal. The teaser introduces Khan's character Hardy, a Punjabi man who vows to help his friends achieve their dream of immigrating to London by any means necessary. His friends are played by Pannu, Kaushal and others. The teaser opens with a mysterious sharpshooter taking aim at a group crossing a desert, before going back to Hardy and friends hatching their plan. Dunki is Khan's third major film release this year following the blockbusters Pathaan and Jawan.

Australia's Cricket World Cup campaign faces a major setback as all-rounder Mitchell Marsh flies back home due to personal reasons, ruling him out of the tournament indefinitely. This follows star player Glenn Maxwell's concussion-related absence. Cricket Australia confirms Marsh's departure just days before their crucial match against arch-rivals England. Potential replacements include Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis, and Cameron Green. Australia's team dynamics are challenged ahead of their upcoming fixtures against England and Bangladesh.

The Canadian government announced plans to raise immigration levels to 500,000 per year by 2025, up from 485,000 in 2023-24. Indians will be the primary beneficiaries as they received the most permanent residency permits last year. In 2022, over 1,18,000 Indians took up Canadian permanent residency (PR), accounting for a quarter of all 4,37,120 newcomers to Canada.The move aims to boost Canada's population and economy amid labor shortages, but faces public opposition due to housing shortages. The government acknowledged infrastructure planning is needed to support population growth.

Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas' decision-making political bureau, has issued a warning that the militant group would repeat the October 7 Israel terror attacks "again and again" until Israel is destroyed. Hamad emphasized that Israel has "no place on our land." He stated that Hamas' attack on Israel was justified, blaming Israel's existence for the pain, blood, and tears in the region. This statement comes after Israel's recent release of a video where a Hamas terrorist admitted to slaughtering women and children during the attacks. [ photo courtesy: screengrab from Twitter]

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit India for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their Indian counterparts this month. The visit is part of a more than week-long trip, starting with Israel and Jordan. In New Delhi, the US delegation will meet with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss bilateral and global concerns in the Indo-Pacific region. The visit aims to strengthen collaboration and reaffirm the commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.