BENGALURU: Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (Nsil), which has a contract to put into orbit US’ commercial satellite “BlueBird Block-2” or “BlueBird-6” through Isro’s LVM-3, will implement the launch on Dec 24.Isro Friday confirmed the dates, and said: “The launch of LVM3-M6 is scheduled on Dec 2025 at 8.54 am from the second launch pad (SLP), Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.” While Isro chairman V Narayanan has been speaking about a Dec launch, the space agency, which had initially targeted Dec 15 pushed it to Dec 24. As per AST SpaceMobile, its next-generation BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver 24/7 high-speed cellular broadband to everyday smartphones worldwide. “These advanced satellites feature nearly 2,400 square feet arrays, which will make them the largest commercial phased arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit, surpassing the previous record held by our first-generation BlueBirds at 693 square feet,” the firm said, describing the latest satellite. While the PSLV, which has delivered more than 400 foreign satellites into orbit, had been DoS and Isro’s mainstay for commercial launches until recently, the LVM-3 made its commercial debut on Oct 23, 2022 by putting a 5,796kg satellite into orbit. Following this, the launch vehicle has been used in multiple commercial missions.The BlueBird Block-2 satellite which weighs 6,500kg, will be part of a constellation of satellites AST has in place. “With our proprietary AST5000 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), each satellite will support 10 GHz of processing bandwidth and peak speeds of 120 Mbps per coverage cell,” the firm has said.Narayanan has said more than once that the mission shows how India, which once relied on other countries, including the US for its space programme, has grown formidable enough to launch a large satellite from a country considered as the leader in space.

After becoming only the second man in American history to return to the White House after a hiatus, Donald Trump has been hellbent on leaving his mark on Washington. Not merely through policy or executive orders, but through brick, marble and nomenclature. He has pushed to break open the East Wing to make room for a sprawling White House ballroom, floated the idea of remodelling official spaces to better suit “modern presidential entertaining”, stacked cultural institutions with loyalists, and treated Washington less like a capital city than a property portfolio awaiting upgrades. The impulse is familiar: to brand power, to stamp ownership, to make the city remember who was here. It is this same instinct that has now spilled beyond the White House gates and into one of America’s most sacrosanct cultural monuments, with Trump backing the rechristening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the Trump–Kennedy Center.

Power, but make it concrete

New plaques of explanatory text have been placed underneath presidential portraits on the Colonnade at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Donald Trump has never been a president comfortable with abstraction. His idea of power is tactile. You can walk through it, host a dinner in it, point to it from across the street. This is why his second term has been accompanied not just by policy reversals but by an unusual fixation on physical space.

The proposed White House ballroom is emblematic. Trump has long complained that the White House is ill-equipped for large-scale entertaining, arguing that modern presidents should not have to rely on temporary tents on the South Lawn. In Trump’s mind, grandeur is not excess. It is evidence. Evidence of success, of authority, of permanence.This is the same instinct that once drove him to plaster his name in gold across Manhattan skylines. Washington, however, has traditionally resisted this kind of personalisation. Presidents come and go; the buildings remain largely unchanged. Trump has never accepted that arrangement. He does not see himself as a caretaker. He behaves like an owner.

The Kennedy Center was never meant to be flexible

Th eJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts occupies a unique place in American civic life. It is not just a venue. It was established by Congress as a living memorial to a president assassinated in office, explicitly linked to Kennedy’s belief that art was central to democratic life.That context matters. The centre’s name was not the result of philanthropy, branding or convention. It was a deliberate act of national remembrance. The idea was to freeze meaning, not renegotiate it with every new administration.Trump approaches it differently. When asked about the renaming, he framed the issue in transactional terms. “We saved the building,” Trump said, crediting his administration with securing funding and reviving the institution. In his worldview, rescue confers rights. If you fix something, you should be recognised for it.The problem is that memorials are not reward schemes. They are limits. They exist precisely to prevent present power from rewriting past meaning. Adding Trump’s name ahead of Kennedy’s is not a neutral update. It alters the hierarchy of memory. Trump first. Kennedy second. The living eclipsing the dead.

Why the Kennedys reacted with open anger

Maria Shriver, left, and her son Christopher Schwarzenegger pose together at the premiere of the film “Avatar: Fire and Ash” on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The Kennedy family’s response has been striking not for its defensiveness, but for its tone. Maria Shriver did not issue a carefully worded statement. She spoke with disbelief. “It’s beyond comprehension to me,” she said, calling the move “beyond wild” and “so bizarre”.At another point, Shriver remarked, “Just when you think someone can’t go any lower, they do”, before urging Americans to “wake up”. There was no nostalgia in her reaction. It was moral outrage at what felt like a violation of an obvious boundary.Joe Kennedy III framed the objection in institutional terms. He pointed out that the Kennedy Center was named by law and that renaming it would be akin to renaming the Lincoln Memorial. The comparison was deliberate. Some names are meant to be untouchable, not because families demand it, but because societies do.The Kennedys are not fighting for relevance. Their name is already etched into American political history. They are fighting because they understand what happens when memorials become malleable. Once you allow power to edit memory, nothing stays fixed.

Culture wars by capture, not cancellation

Trump’s approach to culture has often been misunderstood. He is not a traditional culture warrior intent on defunding the arts or banning expression outright. His method is more effective. He captures institutions instead.By reshaping boards, installing loyalists and asserting personal authority over cultural bodies, Trump turns them into extensions of political power without ever needing to shut them down. The Kennedy Center renaming is the purest expression of that strategy.This is not about programming choices or individual performances. It is about control over context. By altering the name, Trump redefines the building’s meaning without touching what happens on stage. It is culture war by absorption rather than confrontation.The message is subtle but unmistakable. Even institutions designed to stand above politics exist at the pleasure of political power. No symbol is too sacred to be revised.

Legacy as something you can see from the street

For most presidents, legacy is an uncomfortable abstraction. It is shaped by historians, refracted through time, and rarely settles into a single narrative. Trump has no patience for that uncertainty.He prefers legacy that is physical. Names on buildings. Altered skylines. Concrete proof that does not depend on interpretation. Laws can be repealed. Policies can be dismantled. But a name carved into stone creates the illusion of permanence.This is why Trump is drawn to monuments, memorials and architectural changes. They offer something politics rarely does: durability. The Kennedy Center, in this sense, is not a memorial to another president. It is a canvas.Whether the renaming ultimately survives legal challenge is almost secondary. The intent is already clear. Trump does not want to be remembered as a president who governed well or poorly. He wants to be remembered as a figure who altered the landscape.That is what makes this episode so revealing. It is not an outburst or a distraction. It is a distillation of Trump’s governing philosophy. Power must be visible. Legacy must be branded. History must carry your name.The Kennedy family’s resistance is not about protecting a surname. It is about defending the idea that some institutions exist beyond the reach of personal ambition. If memorials can be rewritten by whoever holds office, then memory itself becomes transactional.And in Trump’s Washington, transactions are the only language that matters.

BENGALURU: A 35-year-old man kicked a five-year-old boy while he was playing badminton with other children on Old Post Office Road in Thyagarajanagar, South Bengaluru, on December 14.The accused has been identified as Ranjith, also known as Ranjan, a resident of the same area. Ranjith worked as a gym trainer and quit his job. The boy, a resident of Doddamavalli near Lalbagh, went to his uncle’s house in Thyagarajanagar.

According to the complaint filed by the boy’s mother, the incident happened around 1:15pm when she visited her elder brother’s residence. While her son was playing with other children near the house, her brother’s neighbour kicked her son. The boy reportedly fell to the ground and sustained bleeding above his eyebrow, along with scratches on his hands and feet. He was immediately attended to by family members.Seeking justice for her son, the mother approached the police on the same day and demanded legal action against the accused. Initially, the complaint was registered as a non-cognisable register (NCR), requiring further inquiry. Following a preliminary investigation, police obtained permission from the II Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) court on December 15 and subsequently registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 115(2) – voluntarily causing hurt.A senior officer said Ranjith is unmarried and is mentally unstable, according to his family members. He is undergoing treatment with a psychiatrist. We are collecting details about his medical records. Ranjith has no cases against him in the past, but he always stays isolated and doesn’t talk much, even with his family members. Further necessary action will be initiated, the officer added.The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in one of the buildings. Ranjith is seen coming out of his house wearing a cap. He finds the boy holding a shuttle bat, runs towards him, kicks him on his back, and walks away. The older children immediately informed his parents about the incident.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed $4.258 billion in sovereign lending to India in 2025, supporting projects across workforce skilling, renewable energy, urban infrastructure, metro and rail networks, healthcare services and ecotourism, the multilateral lender said on Friday, reported PTI.Of the 16 new projects committed during the year, nearly 32% were in the human and social development sector, while about 26% focused on energy– primarily renewable energy–and over 18% were in urban development, according to an ADB statement.Skilling and clean energy at the coreA key component of the 2025 portfolio is an $846-million financing initiative for PM-SETU, India’s flagship skilling programme, which aims to modernise hundreds of Industrial Training Institutes across states to improve employability and workforce readiness.ADB is also providing $650 million to support the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the national rooftop solar programme designed to expand household-level solar adoption across the country.“We are proud that ADB’s 2025 portfolio supported India’s priority development agenda, focusing on workforce skilling for jobs, clean energy deployment, and driving transformative urban growth,” said ADB Country Director for India Mio Oka, adding that the initiatives reflect the bank’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth.Urban transport, healthcare and regional developmentReaffirming its support for India’s urban transformation, ADB committed $775 million for five urban projects in Assam, Kerala, Sikkim and West Bengal. These investments are aimed at upgrading and expanding core urban services, including water supply and sanitation.In transport, the lender committed $729 million to expand regional rapid rail connectivity on the Delhi-Meerut corridor and metro networks in Chennai and Indore, with the objective of improving mobility, easing congestion and managing the pressures of rapid urbanisation.Other major loans included $460 million to Maharashtra to modernise rural power infrastructure and strengthen solar electricity supply for irrigation, and $398.8 million to Assam to upgrade healthcare and medical education systems. ADB also committed more than $200 million in loans to Meghalaya and Uttarakhand to promote ecotourism development.Alongside financing, ADB said it continued to provide policy and knowledge support through technical and operational studies. In 2025, this included assistance to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in developing three knowledge frameworks—on creative redevelopment of cities, cities as growth hubs, and urban water supply and sanitation—which underpin the government’s new urban challenge fund.ADB, founded in 1966, is owned by 69 members, including 50 from the Asia-Pacific region, and supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth across the region.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have officially hit the ‘reset’ button. Following a high-stakes IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi, the franchise has emerged with a squad that looks drastically different from the ‘experienced’ units of the past. Former CSK batter and cricket analyst Subramaniam Badrinath has voiced his approval of this transition, breaking down a playing 12 that balances blockbuster trades with record-breaking uncapped talent.

With the departure of long-term pillars like Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, Badrinath believes CSK have finally embraced a “youth-first” philosophy to secure the next decade of success.

CSK’s tactical masterstroke: The Youth gamble

The biggest talking point of the auction was CSK’s aggressive pursuit of uncapped Indian players. The franchise spent a staggering ₹28.4 crore combined to secure Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. Badrinath notes that this is a clear departure from the MS Dhoni-Stephen Fleming ‘safety-first’ manual.

By trading for Sanju Samson (in exchange for Jadeja and Sam Curran), CSK have also solved their long-term leadership and wicketkeeping succession plan, creating a top-heavy batting lineup designed for modern T20 aggression.

S. Badrinath predicts CSK Playing 12 for IPL 2026

Based on the auction buys and squad balance, Badrinath’s preferred XII, picked on Star Sports, features a blend of fearless openers and a completely revamped spin department. Badrinath’s analysis heavily focuses on the role of Prashant. Losing Jadeja was a massive blow, but Badrinath argues that Veer’s left-arm spin and explosive lower-order hitting make him the ideal successor. Furthermore, the combination of Kartik and MS Dhoni at the back end ensures that CSK remains one of the most dangerous finishing units in the league.

Also READ: ‘Missed a small trick’: Ravichandran Ashwin provided a blunt assessment of the CSK’s performance in IPL 2026 Auction

Badrinath’s CSK 12 for IPL 2026:

No place for Sarfaraz Khan

In a move that surprised many fans, Badrinath did not find a place for Sarfaraz Khan in his starting 12. Sarfaraz was picked in the accelerated round during the auction but Badrinath’s selection indicates a preference for “specialist” roles over Sarfaraz’s traditional middle-order playstyle. By prioritizing the explosive power of Dube and the finishing potential of the high-priced Kartik, the analyst suggests that there is simply no room in the current XI for Sarfaraz to fit into the tactical puzzle Badrinath has envisioned for the Yellow Army.

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Salary of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players; check out how much Sanju Samson and Prashant Veer earn

Navi Mumbai: A 50-year-old man appearing ‘disoriented’ boarded the ladies’ coach of a Panvel-CSMT train and pushed an 18-year-old college girl from the moving train after the women commuters told him to get down. He was arrested by the Panvel govt railway police (GRP) for attempted murder.Vijay Tayade, senior inspector, Panvel GRP, said that the arrested accused has been identified as Shaikh Akhtar Nawaz and the victim teenager as Shweta Mahadik, a resident of Usarli village in New Panvel. On Thursday, Mahadik and her female friend were going to their college in Kharghar and boarded the ladies’ coach of the 7:59 am Panvel-CSMT train at Panvel station when the accused Nawaz also boarded the ladies’ coach. The women commuters objected to his entry and told him to get down. As Shaikh was reluctant to alight and the train departed, a verbal spat ensued between the women commuters and Shaikh, who turned violent and pushed Mahadik, who was standing near the coach’s footboard pole, causing her to fall off the train. The women commuters alerted the railway helpline number, and Shaikh was detained by the GRP cops at Khandeshwar station.Inspector Tayade said, “As the victim Mahadik fell on the tracks at a distance of about 1.5 km from Panvel railway station, the GRP team walked along the tracks to reach the spot, but did not find Mahadik. When they inquired with the commuters, it was learnt that Mahadik was taken to a nearby private hospital by a few residents. A GRP cop went to the hospital and found Mahadik there. She did not sustain major external injuries. Hence, the doctors did her CT scan and X-ray to ascertain if there were any internal injuries. Later, her parents took her home. On Friday, we inquired with her parents, who told us that she got a mild fever in the morning.”Inspector Tayade said, “The accused Shaikh was arrested after registering an FIR against him under BNS section for attempted murder and under the Indian Railways Act, which deals with penalties for travelling without a proper ticket, beyond the authorised distance, or in contravention of rules, along with a penalty on male passengers who enter or remain in carriages, compartments, or berths reserved for females without lawful excuse. As the accused Shaikh appeared disoriented, he was taken to JJ Hospital for a medical test, where the doctors examined him and said that he appears to be mentally disturbed. Shaikh claimed that he was homeless and usually lives in the Khar-Bandra road area. Shaikh was produced before a Panvel city court on Friday morning, which remanded him in police custody for three days. Our GRP team will be sent to Khar and Bandra areas with his photograph to find his family or relatives.”

Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav

NEW DELHI: With no let up in the air pollution crisis, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday asked local authorities to take necessary steps to ensure “visible improvement” in the prevailing air quality situation across the national capital region (NCR) within one week.Chairing a high-level meeting to undertake a detailed review of action plans of the governments of NCT of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Yadav directed the authorities to remove dust and construction and demolition (C&D) waste lying on roads, containment of biomass burning, and strict enforcement of construction bans during high pollution periods.

“Individual officers were asked to be assigned responsibility for Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines (MRSMs), supported by GPS tracking, to ensure efficient road cleaning and dust control,” said the environment ministry in a statement.It said directions were issued to remove encroachments causing traffic congestion within 10 days, ensure annual maintenance contracts for pothole-free roads, and provide proper drainage to prevent monsoon-related damage to the roads.Expressing concern over the persistence of poor air quality in the Delhi-NCR, Yadav announced that from January 2026 onwards reviews of action plans, being finalised now, will be held every month at the ministerial level.Reviewing the individual presentations on measures taken by the state governments and municipal bodies, he emphasised that the momentum of these actions must be sustained until there is a visible improvement in air quality across the NCR.“The minister further made it clear that strict measures must be taken against defaulters, but at the same time the general public must not get inconvenienced unnecessarily. Identified issues are to be addressed through corrective actions, with a review scheduled in 15 days,” said the ministry.During the meeting, staggered timings for offices, shopping malls and commercial complexes were also emphasised to reduce peak-hour congestion. “Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Noida were directed to fast-track the implementation of the Integrated Smart Traffic Management System (ITMS), while traffic police were asked to ensure that enforcement checks do not themselves lead to congestion,” said the ministry.

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets of cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actor Sonu Sood and others. An official has confirmed that the total worth of seized assets is Rs 7.93 crore, and it is done in a case linked to the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet.The ED had attached assets worth Rs 11.14 crore belonging to cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina earlier on October 6.

According to an ED statement, others against whom action has been taken include actresses Urvashi Rautela and Mimi Chakraborty, actor Ankush Hazra, and actress Neha Sharma. The attachment was carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the official statement said.The ED began its investigation based on multiple FIRs registered by different state police agencies against the operators of the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet.The investigation found that 1xBet and its surrogate brands 1xBat and 1xbat Sporting lines were involved in promoting and enabling illegal online betting and gambling activities across India.The ED investigation revealed that the celebrities knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities for promoting 1xBet through its surrogate brands, the statement said.It added that these endorsements were done in exchange for payments routed through foreign entities to hide the illegal source of funds, which were linked to proceeds of crime from betting activities.The ED also found that 1xBet operated in India without authorisation and used surrogate branding and advertisements on social media, online videos and print media to target Indian users.The ED said payments for endorsements were arranged through layered transactions using foreign intermediaries to conceal the illegal origin of the funds.The agency warned that illegal betting and gambling platforms cause economic damage and are often used for money laundering and other illegal activities.It advised the public to stay away from such platforms and report suspicious transactions or advertisements to law enforcement agencies or the ED.The ED also warned celebrities and social media influencers that endorsing or promoting illegal betting or gambling platforms, including through surrogate promotions, is a punishable offence under the law.