The Taliban-led Afghanistan government has approved a plan to build dams on the Kunar river, which along with Kabul river is a major source of water for Pakistan, News18 reported. The move will "directly reduce flow into Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region", sources said. Notably, India had suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron defended using a sexist slur for feminist activists who disrupted a rape-accused French actor's stand-up show, which she was attending herself. In a viral video, Brigitte was heard calling activists "stupid b*****s". Brigitte said she made the "clumsy" remark in a private capacity and didn't realise she was being filmed.

A British man, Andy McConnell, filmed himself handling a small octopus while holidaying in Philippines. After the video went viral, social media users identified the creature as a blue-ringed octopus, considered one of the most venomous animals in the ocean. According to the National Library of Medicine, its venom is about 1,000 times more deadly than cyanide.

Police rescued a 25-year-old hotel manager after he managed to call for help using a kidnapper's smartwatch in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior. The victim was allegedly kidnapped by some moneylenders who demanded he pay an extra ₹6 lakh on a loan of ₹2.90 lakh, despite having repaid ₹3.20 lakh. He had called his girlfriend and alerted her to his location.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali on Tuesday welcomed PM Narendra Modi on his official visit, calling it a "great pleasure" to receive him. He said, "His presence underscores the growing ties between our two countries, and I look forward to meaningful engagements that will further deepen our cooperation across shared priorities." PM Modi recently concluded his Jordan visit.

The Pentagon plans a military shake-up to reduce four-star generals, cut bureaucracy, and streamline top-level decisions. Requested by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, it also aims to merge key overseas commands, improve efficiency, strengthen civilian control, and align the armed forces with President Donald Trump's "America First" security strategy.

Australian police said two terrorists behind the deadly attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney's Bondi Beach had travelled to the Philippines before the assault, and appeared to be inspired by Islamic State. Philippine officials said both men travelled to Manila and onward to Davao in the south of the country on November 1 and left on November 28.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni met Daniel Chapo, President of African nation Mozambique, in Rome last week. A video of their meeting has gone viral wherein Meloni is seen getting surprised by the significant height difference between the leaders. Chapo is around 6 feet 8 inches tall while Meloni's height is approximately 5 feet 2 inches.

Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II grabbed global attention after a viral video showed him driving PM Narendra Modi during the latter’s visit to Jordan, marking 75 years of diplomatic ties. Born in 1994, he is King Abdullah II and Queen Rania’s eldest son, educated in Jordan, the US, and the UK, and married Princess Rajwa Al Saif in 2023.

A Bangladeshi naval vessel attacked a fishing trawler from West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas in Indian waters in Bay of Bengal. The trawler, named ‘FB Paromita – 11’, sank late Sunday night along with 16 Indian fishermen after being struck by Bangladeshi vessel. Five Indian fishermen are missing following incident. Fishing trawler had set sail from Namkhana on December 13.