Ravichandran Ashwin, India's second-highest Test wicket-taker, announced his retirement from international cricket after the Brisbane Test. An emotional Ashwin bid farewell to his teammates, receiving a signed jersey from the Australian team. He expressed gratitude for the relationships built and affirmed his continued passion for cricket, though shifting focus to club, franchise cricket.
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Actor-turned-politician K Chiranjeevi expressed his wish for his son, Ram Charan, to have a boy to continue the family's legacy, causing mixed reactions on social media. Many criticized his remarks as reinforcing outdated gender biases, while some fans defended them as lighthearted banter. Chiranjeevi currently has granddaughters from his daughters and a granddaughter from Ram Charan.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the BJP-led government's decision to conduct former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's last rites at Nigambodh Ghat, deeming it an insult. The Congress had proposed a memorial location, but the government has not responded officially. State funeral arrangements proceed at Nigambodh Ghat.
Chennai police shot dead Jaffer Gulam Hussain Irani, a member of the Irani gang, when he attempted to pull out a gun after snatching six chains from elderly women. Irani and his accomplices had planned to flee the city before the police intercepted them at the airport.
An Indian-American student at Houston University has accused a Hinduism course of bias, alleging it misrepresented aspects of the Hindu religion and politically branded PM Narendra Modi as a Hindu fundamentalist. The university defended its course as academically rigorous and committed to exploring complex religious and political issues.
The White House has relaunched its Covid-19 website, prominently featuring the lab-leak theory and accusing the previous administration of suppressing debate on the virus's origins. The updated site criticizes early pandemic responses and alleges censorship of alternative views. This move follows revised assessments from intelligence agencies, while China continues to reject the lab-leak hypothesis.
Actor Allu Arjun expressed displeasure over Hyderabad police entering his bedroom while taking him into custody. Arjun questioned the police action, but cooperated and left with officers after a brief discussion. Police clarified they waited outside his bedroom and denied any misbehavior, stating Arjun was given time and entered the vehicle willingly.
A Bhopal court has reopened the investigation into the 1997 death of Mahila Congress activist Sarla Mishra, who died from severe burns. The court questioned the validity of her dying declaration, citing the extent of her injuries.
A Supreme Court-appointed committee headed by former judge Nawab Singh will hold virtual talks with agitating farmers on January 3. The committee was set up to address farmers' issues and end the deadlock. The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with Punjab government's handling of a fasting farmer, urging farmers to remove blockades to ease public hardships.
Stock market today: Indian equity benchmark indices, BSE Sensex and Nifty50, opened in green on Wednesday. While BSE Sensex moved up over 300 points, Nifty50 was above 23,000.
The Allahabad High Court addressed a verbal plea to refer to Sambhal Jama Masjid as a 'disputed structure' while considering cleaning and whitewashing permissions. The court scheduled the next hearing for March 10, 2025. The mosque became contentious after a survey led to clashes and violence in November 2024, resulting in a judicial inquiry.