Dr. Rasha Kelej recognized for leading Merck Foundation programs expanding reproductive health capacity and girls' education across Africa.
Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, was named among the 100 Most Influential Africans 2025 for leading programs that build healthcare capacity and advance women's reproductive health and education. The Foundation reports 2,500 scholarships across 52 countries in 44 specialties, including 770 fertility care clinical trainings and over 1,200 annual scholarships for underprivileged schoolgirls, delivered in partnership with First Ladies, ministries, academia and media to embed sustainable reproductive health services and reduce infertility stigma across Africa and Asia.

DeepSnitch AI presale surged past $830K; bonus codes offer up to 100% extra tokens before Jan 1.
The article explains that the CLARITY Act is moving to Senate markup, a development framed as promoting regulatory clarity for crypto. It summarizes the DeepSnitch AI (DSNT) presale: over $830,000 raised at $0.02903, three AI agents live, two security audits completed, and a January 2026 launch. Presale instructions: visit the official site, connect a Web3 wallet, select token amount, and apply DSNTVIP50 (50% bonus on $2,000+) or DSNTVIP100 (100% bonus on $5,000+) before January 1. The article includes a risk disclaimer regarding cryptocurrency trading.

BJP roadshow in Patna to welcome Nitin Nabin with cultural programmes, designated route, and tightened security.
A party-organised roadshow will start at the airport at 12:30 pm and proceed via Sheikhpura More, the Hanuman temple in Rajbanshi Nagar, and the income tax roundabout to culminate at Miller High School ground, featuring posters, hoardings, multiple stages for cultural programmes, a large turnout of party workers, and tightened security; the leader is expected to address attendees at the concluding ground.

Rupee slips amid FII outflows, weak equities and oil price movements; trade deal with New Zealand noted.
The rupee weakened to 89.73 against the US dollar in early trade amid foreign institutional investor outflows and a weak domestic equity open, while a softer dollar and lower Brent crude limited sharper losses; market participants noted a trading range around 89-90 and flagged upcoming US macroeconomic data, and India and New Zealand concluded free trade agreement negotiations affecting several export sectors.

Stock markets slip as IT stocks drag; FIIs sell while DIIs buy amid holiday-thinned volumes.
Equity benchmarks reversed part of a recent rally in early trade as IT stocks led declines and select financial and infrastructure stocks gained; volumes were expected to be subdued in the holiday-shortened week. Foreign institutional investors net sold equities while domestic institutional investors net bought, and mixed global cues with a slight dip in Brent crude influenced market sentiment.

Replacement of MGNREGA centralises rural work decisions and shifts funding burdens to states, risking rural livelihoods.
The replacement of MGNREGA by the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 centralises rural employment policy by shifting decision making over works to the central government, disempowering Gram Sabhas, and reallocates fiscal responsibility from the Union to states, thereby increasing state financial burdens; the repeal was enacted without consultation with states, stakeholders, or civil society and has drawn political and civil society condemnation.

New Navy battleship plan: Trump proposes heavily armed 'Golden Fleet' ship featuring hypersonic and nuclear-capable missiles.
President Trump announced a program for a new large warship class, the "Golden Fleet," with the first ship, USS Defiant, to be a guided-missile "battleship" roughly 35,000 tons and crewed by 650-850 sailors. The proposed armament list includes hypersonic missiles, nuclear-capable cruise missiles, rail guns, and high-powered lasers, while construction planning is said to begin in the early 2030s. Many named systems remain experimental or previously abandoned and the deployment of nuclear-capable cruise missiles at sea raises potential non-proliferation treaty compliance issues.

Chinese national facing deportation got DHS withdrawal of removal request; asylum claim proceeds while detained and bond sought.
DHS withdrew a request to deport an irregular entrant after advocacy raised concerns he would be persecuted for exposing alleged Xinjiang abuses; ICE detention continues while his asylum claim proceeds and his lawyers seek bond and continuation of adjudication, shifting legal posture from imminent removal to non-removal pending asylum determinations.

US stocks rose as tech and banks led gains; Fed policy, economic reports, and an offshore wind lease pause loom.
US equities rose broadly to start a holiday-shortened week with tech and banks leading gains and small-caps outperforming; AI-focused stocks remained central to market direction. Corporate events (a strengthened takeover bid backed by an irrevocable personal guarantee) and a federal pause on offshore wind leases materially affected specific issuers. Rising gold, silver, and oil prices and upcoming GDP, jobless claims, and consumer confidence reports, against a backdrop of recent Fed rate cuts and persistent inflation, frame the near-term market outlook.

Suspended tehsildar's anticipatory bail denied in alleged public land sale and ownership misrepresentation involving a 40 acre Mundhwa plot.
Anticipatory bail was refused for a suspended tehsildar accused of treating a 40 acre government parcel as alienable, issuing a notice to the lessee to vacate based on a purported private purchase, and in a merged Bopodi matter recording third parties as owners of agriculture department land; the Mundhwa sale to a private firm is alleged to involve an improper Rs 21 crore stamp duty exemption and other accused persons, prompting consolidation of related investigations into a single criminal case.

Rath Yatra timing dispute: temple authorities demand adherence to scriptural tithi; ISKCON cites international logistical constraints.
A dispute centers on ISKCON holding Rath Yatras on dates not matching the scripture prescribed tithi; SJTA and SJTMC claim authority to require observance in accordance with scriptural injunctions and customs, report failed negotiations, and call for opposition to untimely observances, while ISKCON cites international logistical constraints and agrees only to a unified Snan Purnima observance.

Gujarat eases GIFT City liquor rules: non residents may drink with photo ID; venues expanded beyond dining areas.
Gujarat removed the temporary permit requirement for non resident and foreign persons to consume liquor inside GIFT City, allowing admission on presentation of a valid photo ID; the notification also expanded permitted consumption areas beyond licensed "wine and dine" zones to include lawns, pool sides and terraces, and retained employee hosting rules for holders of a Liquor Access Permit who may host up to 25 visitors with temporary permits when accompanying them.

Ex-IPS officer duped of Rs 8.10 crore in cyber fraud urges SIT or central agency probe.
A former senior police officer alleges he was defrauded of Rs 8.10 crore by an organised cyber fraud group posing as wealth advisors, using fake dashboards to show inflated profits, pressuring reinvestment and levying fees while withdrawals were not processed; he urged constitution of a Special Investigation Team or referral to a central agency to trace funds and effect recoveries. Police are probing the alleged scam and an associated self-inflicted shooting, examining the note, bank transactions and digital evidence.

Replacement of MGNREGA criticised as centralised and shifting costs to states, nationwide threatening rural livelihoods.
The VB GRAM G Act, 2025 replaced MGNREGA and is criticised for centralising work decisions previously empowered to Gram Sabhas, removing the historical name association, and shifting the financing formula from a near 90:10 central:state share to 60:40, thereby increasing state fiscal burden and undermining the demand driven rural employment framework.

Andhra liquor sales rose; government mandates unique bottle identification, geo-tagging, tracking and tougher action on illegal shops.
Andhra Pradesh saw significant liquor sales growth with Rs 7,041 crore realised against an Rs 8,000 crore target for October 2024-2025, driven by IMFL and beer increases, broader brand availability, competitive pricing and a rise in digital payments. The Chief Minister ordered reforms to prioritise healthy growth: mandate unique identification numbers on bottles, implement geo-tagging and tracking in distribution, review the lottery allotment system and fees, consider retailer margin changes, study sub-lease arrangements, and intensify action against illegal liquor shops to enhance transparency and curb spurious products.

Cyclone Ditwah caused around USD 4.1 billion in damage, stressing infrastructure, agriculture and urgent recovery funding.
The World Bank's GRADE report estimates Cyclone Ditwah caused about USD 4.1 billion in direct physical damage in Sri Lanka, concentrated in infrastructure, residential buildings, agriculture and non residential facilities. The report highlights severe impacts on livelihoods and food security, identifies Kandy and the Central province as hardest hit, stresses the need for resilient siting and design and notes mobilisation of up to USD 120 million from ongoing World Bank projects for recovery and restoration of essential services.

Delhi airport flight operations disrupted: over 500 flights delayed and 14 cancelled due to dense fog and low visibility.
Severe low-visibility weather at Indira Gandhi International Airport produced over 500 flight delays and 14 cancellations (six arrivals, eight departures), including international services, with an average delay of just over 30 minutes, as airport operations and scheduled capacity were reduced due to persistent dense fog.

VB-G RAM G Act increases employment guarantee to 125 days and raises administrative funding to support implementation.
The VB-G RAM G Act replaces the previous rural employment scheme, increases administrative expenditure to 9 per cent with over Rs 13,000 crore earmarked for salaries and administration from a Rs 1,51,282 crore budget, and raises the employment guarantee to 125 days. It provides unemployment allowance and delayed payment compensation, maintains current wages with annual increases, and specifies four categories of works: water conservation; basic village infrastructure; livelihood activities; and disaster-protection structures, alongside measures for strict monitoring and state coordination to ensure timely salary payments.

OnePlus opens new Mohali store and plans 2-3 more Punjab outlets, expanding its India retail network in early 2026.
OnePlus opened an exclusive 800 square foot retail store in Mohali offering the OnePlus 15 series and newly launched 15R; the opening increases its Punjab presence to three stores plus one Chandigarh outlet and raises the company's national store count to 87, with plans to open 2-3 more stores in Punjab in the first half of 2026 and to expand across metros and Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.

Alleged cyber fraud duped former IPS officer of Rs 8.10 crore, leaving him critically injured and prompting calls for specialised investigation.
A former senior police officer alleges he was cheated of Rs 8.10 crore by fraudsters posing as wealth management advisors who used messaging groups, fake dashboards, and promises of high returns to extract bank transfers; withdrawals were blocked and victims were pressured to pay fees and taxes. A recovered 12 page note details the scheme, requests a dedicated investigation into multiple bank accounts and actors, and the police are probing the fraud and related self inflicted shooting by examining the note, bank transactions, and digital evidence.