As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence Bishnoi, seeks protection, fearing an attack by Pakistani gangster Shehzad Bhatti due to social media posts. He is currently in NIA custody after deportation from the US.
Pakistani and Afghan forces exchanged fire, testing the fragile peace between the two sides as officials from both countries held talks in Turkiye to find a lasting solution to cross-border militancy.
The trial of Abu Jundal, accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is set to resume after the Bombay High Court overturned a lower court order requiring authorities to hand over confidential documents to the accused.
India succeeded in busting the Pakistani narrative on Operation Sindoor, particularly among the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member nations, where Islamabad sought succour after carrying out terror activities across the border, Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde said.
India's Deepavali (Diwali), the festival of light, has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during a meeting held at the Red Fort in Delhi.
The Afghanistan cricket team on Saturday paid tributes to the victims of the tragic airstrike in Paktika province ahead of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe.
'In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB's decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan.'
Pakistan launched fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, killing several people, including three cricketers, casting a shadow over the expected talks in Doha amid a fragile ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides.
New Delhi might have loudly welcomed an age of multipolarity, hedging and strategic autonomy. But it seems the winner in that game is Islamabad, not us, points out Mihir S Sharma.
Pakistan announced a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan following deadly border clashes. The agreement aims to facilitate dialogue and find a resolution to the conflict.
'The killing of players and civilians is not honour -- it is the deepest disgrace. Long live Afghanistan.' Afghan Cricketers Unite Behind ACB After Fatal Airstrike.
The ICC has imposed a 30 percent fine on the match fees of India's Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf for breaching the Code of Conduct during the India-Pakistan Asia Cup tie. Both players were found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.
Pakistan is considering creating a new position of 'Commander of Defence Forces' (CDF) to improve coordination and unified command among its military services, according to media reports. The move is part of broader defence reforms and is reportedly influenced by recent conflicts and the evolving nature of modern warfare.
Indian authorities have requested additional information from the United States based on the interrogation of Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The request was made through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
In the movie, veteran star Sanjay Dutt portrays Chaudhary Aslam. The police officer was assassinated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban's Mohmand chapter who claimed responsibility for carrying out a bomb attack on his car on the Lyari Expressway on January 9, 2014, in which two other police officers, his driver, and guard were also killed.
Pakistan was created as a result of the 1947 Partition of then-undivided India, and the Sindh region near the river Indus has been part of Pakistan since then.
"Similarly, 60 launchpads are working in the other depth areas away from the border," BSF DIG Vikram Kunwar told reporters in Jammu.
The 2025 US National Security Strategy marks a major pullback, with America turning backward and effectively allowing China greater dominance in Asia. while long-time partners like India are left to face an increasingly unstable global order largely on their own, observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday paid floral tributes at the city police headquarters to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistan has handed over evidence-based demands to mediators in Istanbul talks with the Afghan Taliban, aiming to end cross-border terrorism. The talks follow recent border clashes and aim to defuse tensions between the two sides.
After a thorough investigation, the state's ATS held the duo who were working under the direction of ISIS modules based in Pakistan and were active on social media through fake IDs, said Sharma, who also holds home portfolio.
The Maharashtra Police are drafting a drone-use policy to strengthen security and surveillance in key cities, including Mumbai, as part of preparations against unconventional terror threats, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Pakistan on Saturday brought in a Constitutional amendment to create a new post of chief of defence forces to ensure greater coordination and unified command among the three services.
Poonam, a 38-year-old woman who came to India from Pakistan in 2004, has been granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She had been living in Rampur on a long-term visa and expressed joy at finally being recognized as an Indian citizen.
New data reveals a significant drop in UK net migration, with Indian students and workers topping the list of those leaving the country.
Pakistan military chief directly intervened to salvage the home series involving Sri Lanka following the suicide attack in Islamabad, the country's interior ministry said on Thursday.
A 65-year-old Pakistani man, Nadir Munir Khan, has been residing in a room at the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg police station in Mumbai for the past four months, awaiting deportation after serving a sentence for illegal entry into India. He was arrested in April 2024 for being found roaming suspiciously near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus without a visa or necessary documents. Khan claims he was cheated in Nepal, assaulted, and robbed, leading him to enter India illegally. The police have contacted Pakistani authorities and are awaiting their response for Khan's deportation.
Sri Lankan players currently touring Pakistan for a three-match ODI series want to return home due to security concerns following a deadly suicide attack in Islamabad but PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi claimed that the rubber will continue, albeit with a rejigged schedule.
From emotional showdowns to the ultimate happily-ever-afters, we recap 10 times Bollywood showed us couples fighting their gharwale for their love.
'Can a nuclear-armed nation sustain itself indefinitely under overt military rule without catastrophic consequences for itself and the region? History suggests otherwise.'
Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal for crimes against humanity committed during protests against her government.
Gujarat Police arrested an Indian national accused of running an international cyber slavery network operated by Chinese gangs from Myanmar and Cambodia. The accused allegedly supplied Indian workers to scam compounds where they were forced to commit cybercrimes.
The defence ministry is likely to take up the proposal by the Indian Air Force for approval at a defence acquisition council meeting planned to be held on October 23, sources said.
Indian Army's Director General Military Operations Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai claims Pakistan lost over 100 military personnel along the Line of Control during Operation Sindoor and at least 12 aircraft during the conflict in May.
On President Putin's two-day trip to India, Jaishankar said for a "big" and "rising" country like India, it is important to maintain good cooperation with as many important players as possible in the world in line with freedom of choice.
Vice Admiral K Swaminathan highlights concerns over Pakistan's arms procurement and China's growing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean Region.
'They came to our bedrooms, woke people who were sleeping, and shot them. For what? For what?'
The accused had links with six persons, arrested on November 3 from Morbi, Surendranagar, Surat and Amreli districts, for allegedly routing Rs 200 crore to Dubai-based cybercriminals using nearly 100 mule accounts, the release said.
Singh, who worked in a factory in Alwar, was known locally as a 'Siddh Purush' and often participated in religious events. This allowed him to build rapport with defence personnel and civilians alike, the officials said.
