Thailand will waive visa requirements for Indian tourists arriving in the country from November until May 2024. The move aims to boost tourism numbers as the high season approaches. India has been Thailand's 4th largest source of tourists so far in 2022 with 1.2 million arrivals. Thailand recently waived visas for Chinese visitors too. From Jan-Oct 2022, Thailand had 22 million visitors, generating $25.7 billion revenue. The government hopes tourism can offset weak exports and boost economic growth. Thailand is targeting 28 million arrivals this year.

Apple issued a statement saying the hacking warnings sent to Indian opposition leaders could potentially be false alarms. The tech giant said it doesn't attribute such notifications to any specific attacker. This comes after at least 7 opposition leaders claimed receiving emails from Apple warning of "state-sponsored attackers" trying to compromise their iPhones. Apple said detecting sophisticated attacks relies on imperfect threat signals. MPs like Mahua Moitra, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Shashi Tharoor had shared screenshots of the warnings. This follows last year's inconclusive Pegasus spyware findings on analyzed phones by a Supreme Court panel.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took center stage amidst the iPhone hacking controversy and dismissed the government by asserting the Opposition isn't scared and will keep fighting. In a jibe, he said the government can 'tap phones' as much as they want and he doesn't care, even offering his own phone. Gandhi accused the government of distraction politics. This follows several Opposition leaders claiming they got Apple alerts of state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely hack their iPhones. Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi, TMC's Mahua Moitra, AAP's Raghav Chadha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor, and Pawan Khera posted such alert screenshots. Rahul Gandhi asserted the Opposition won't be intimidated by such alleged phone-tapping efforts and will continue challenging the government.

At the University of Oxford, MLC Kavitha Kalvakuntla delivered an insightful discourse on 'Exploring Inclusive Development: The Telangana Model', highlighting the state's transformative journey under CM K Chandrasekhar Rao's visionary leadership. She portrayed Telangana's rise from distress to a beacon of balanced growth intertwining infrastructure and welfare. Kavitha delineated pivotal projects like the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, Mission Bhagiratha, and power sector investments that drove development. Agricultural resurgence was a cornerstone, with the sector growing 15.7% in 2022-23 due to government support schemes like Rythu Bandhu, underscoring the ethos of harnessing resources and equitable wealth distribution. Kavitha highlighted the #1 rank in income equality, at par with Nordic nations, showcasing a commitment to minimizing disparities. She called for examining the Telangana model collaboratively as a blueprint of transformative governance. The address highlighted Telangana's indefatigable spirit of progress in equitably uplifting all sections, waging a war on poverty with much more to come.

Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Gaza City on Monday, advancing in tanks and armored vehicles and freeing a soldier captured by Hamas since their October 7th attack. The military said 19-year-old Private Ori Megidish was "doing well" after being rescued in Gaza and reunited with family, the first successful hostage retrieval. PM Netanyahu welcomed her home as showing Israel's commitment to its captives. Previously, the Israeli PM has rejected ceasefire calls, vowing no surrender to Hamas and continuation of the difficult war. The escalating ground incursion came as airstrikes hit a near-overflowing hospital in Gaza. Netanyahu remains defiant amid pressure and anger over Israel's failure to prevent Hamas's unprecedented deadly raid into Israeli border communities, said he had no plans to resign.

Indian and Russian officials are set to meet to finalize the delivery schedule for the remaining two S-400 air defense missile squadrons. India had signed a contract worth over Rs 35,000 crore for five squadrons, of which three are already operational along the borders with China and Pakistan. The delivery of the remaining two squadrons was delayed due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite unclear timelines from the Russian side, India remains focused on acquiring its own systems. The Indian Air Force is also advancing its Long Range Surface to Air Missile system, capable of striking down enemy aircraft and missiles at 400 km ranges.

Following the tragic passing of Friends actor Matthew Perry at 54, co-star Lisa Kudrow expresses her bewilderment and contemplates adopting his dog Alfred. Perry was found unconscious in his Los Angeles home's hot tub. Kudrow, along with the Friends cast, mourns Perry's loss, with showrunners Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin Bright issuing a heartfelt statement. Janice actress Maggie Wheeler also pays tribute, sharing cherished memories. The Friends community grapples with the untimely death of their beloved colleague, remembering Perry's joy and creativity that touched many lives.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, faced a third death threat via email, demanding a ransom of Rs 400 Crore, escalating from previous demands of Rs 20 Crore and Rs 200 Crore, sent over the past four days. All threats came from a single email ID, allegedly belonging to Shadab Khan in Belgium. Mumbai police are investigating the authenticity of the emails and working to identify the sender. An FIR has been filed, and Ambani's security team is cooperating with the authorities in the ongoing investigation.

The beloved cast of "Friends" – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer – have expressed profound grief over the passing of their co-star, Matthew Perry, at 54. The actors released a joint statement, emphasizing their deep bond beyond the screen. Perry, famed for his role as Chandler Bing, battled addiction openly. The cause of his death remains under investigation. Friends' creators hailed him as irreplaceable. Fans and celebrities, including Selma Blair and Gwyneth Paltrow, joined in mourning, honoring Perry's legacy as an actor and a friend.

India faces a significant data breach crisis as sensitive personal data of 81.5 million citizens, including Aadhaar and passport details, names, phone numbers, and addresses, surfaces on the dark web. The leak, originating from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) database and related to COVID-19 testing, marks a potential historic breach. A hacker, 'pwn0001,' advertised the stolen data on the dark web, leading to an ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Cybersecurity experts confirmed the authenticity of the leaked records, raising concerns about data security in India. [ Representative Image]