Nirmala Sitharaman slams Obama over minorities remark; NIA compares Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Dawood Ibrahim; more

This report highlights a major embarrassment for Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khwaja Asif, who inaugurated an unauthorised Pizza Hut outlet in his constituency of Sialkot. Following the event, Pizza Hut Pakistan issued a formal statement clarifying that 'this outlet is not associated with Pizza Hut Pakistan or the Yum brands' and confirmed it has filed a complaint with authorities regarding the trademark misuse. The incident has triggered a massive 'meme-fest' and widespread ridicule on social media, as users pointed out the outlet was missing from the official store list. The programme questions the lack of due diligence by the minister's office, noting that such a high-profile oversight reflects poorly on the administration. Journalists discuss how the failure to verify the authenticity of a commercial establishment has led to a significant public relations fiasco for the senior federal minister and the Pakistani government.

On this Special Report, we focus on the retirement of veteran NASA astronaut Sunita Williams after an illustrious 27-year career. Speaking in New Delhi, Williams described her visit to India as a 'homecoming', reflecting on her deep personal ties to the country where her father was born. During an interactive session, she shared profound life lessons from her time aboard the International Space Station, noting, 'Every person I know is there. Every animal, every plant, everything we know is there, and we're all on this one planet.' Williams, who completed three missions and set multiple human spaceflight records, emphasized how viewing Earth from orbit changes one's perception of global differences. The retired astronaut also met with the family of late fellow astronaut Kalpana Chawla during her stay in the national capital. The programme highlights her historic contributions to space exploration and her reflections on humanity's shared home.

On this Special Report, anchor Aishwarya Paliwal discusses the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The report highlights a blunt and unprecedented warning from President Donald Trump, who stated, 'If anything happens to me, they will be wiped off the face of earth.' This statement follows allegations of Iranian plots targeting the President, linked to the 2020 killing of Qasem Soleimani. Correspondent Pranay Upadhyay joins the conversation to detail the 'maximum pressure' policy, including military strikes on Iranian nuclear establishments in May 2025. The bulletin notes a significant U.S. military buildup in the CENTCOM region, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier. Trump further criticised Joe Biden, asserting that American presidents must defend one another against foreign threats. The programme explores the implications of these threats against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amidst ongoing regional force augmentation.

On this Special Report, the focus is on the Indian government's decision to withdraw family members of officials posted in Bangladesh. Reporter Pranay Upadhyay explains that this is a 'precautionary measure' taken by the Ministry of External Affairs in view of the deteriorating security scenario. While the Indian High Commission and other posts in Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Chittagong will remain fully operational and functional for visa services and diplomatic engagements, the dependents of the mission staff have been advised to return to India. The move follows a surge in anti-India protests and unrest triggered by the recent killings of political activists, which have disrupted mission activities. The transcript highlights that the decision aims to ensure the safety of the families of Indian diplomats as political tensions escalate ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. The programme explores the impact of these security threats on India-Bangladesh ties and the operational status of Indian diplomatic missions amidst the ongoing civil unrest.