A significant security development is emerging along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border, where at least five drones from the Pakistani side were seen entering Indian territory. India Today Bureau Chief for Jammu and Kashmir, Ashraf Wani, reports on infiltration in several areas including Samba, Nowshera, Rajouri and Poonch. According to Wani, ‘Today, it is a significant step forward in that way, multiple drones were seen, not just one but at least five drones were seen in different areas along the Line of Control as well as the international border.’ In response, security forces have launched a massive search and cordon operation to determine whether the drones have dropped any material such as weapons or drugs. The Army fired at the drones at at least two locations, but the unmanned vehicles managed to escape back into the Pakistani border.

This special report focuses on a major political realignment in Maharashtra, where Thackeray’s cousin Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) president and MNS president Raj Thackeray held a joint rally at Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park. The two have formed an alliance for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, saying they have joined hands for the benefit of ‘Marathi Manus’. Taking the opportunity to attack his rivals, Uddhav Thackeray said ‘helpless monkeys cannot become tigers’ and said BJP’s predecessor Jan Sangh had no role in the Maharashtra fight. The report highlights that the two brothers have reunited at this crucial moment after Raj Thackeray earlier parted ways with the Shiv Sena to form his own party, with their shared aim now being to focus on Marathi identity ahead of the crucial civic elections.

Following Indonesia’s lead, Malaysia has now suspended access to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, due to concerns over AI-generated pornographic content. India Today’s Shivani Sharma reports that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has ordered an immediate temporary ban on the platform. The move comes after global criticism of Grok’s image creation feature, which allegedly allowed users to create sexually explicit images of women and children. According to Sharma, the Malaysian regulator found the platform’s security measures inadequate. She notes that access will only be restored ‘after the necessary changes have been verified’. The action highlights growing international concern among countries from Europe to Asia regarding the content generated by new AI tools and pressure for stronger platform accountability.

In a special report, Nikhil Naz, Consulting Editor, India Today, talks about India’s tense four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first ODI in Baroda. Naz explains that while India were heading towards an easy win, the match became ‘a 50-50 kind of match’ after Virat Kohli was out for 93 runs. He says, ‘When he was at the crease, it seemed as if India were in cruise control, in the driver’s seat and headed towards an easy victory.’ Naz also highlighted that dropped catches by New Zealand’s otherwise efficient team proved crucial. He noted that the visiting team was not at full strength, missing several key players, yet they managed to give India a tough fight before KL Rahul finished the match.