Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu chaired an extensive review to evaluate airline preparedness for the upcoming winter-fog season. The Minister stated on X, “Today, I chaired a comprehensive review meeting with all key stakeholders—including DGCA, AAI, airport operators, airlines, and CISF—to assess readiness for the upcoming fog window in the winter schedule. All stakeholders have been directed to ensure full compliance, establish accountability, and strictly implement SOPs for fog operations. Focus must be on real-time data sharing, activating war rooms, and deploying CAT-II/III compliant aircraft with qualified crews. Clear instructions have been issued to ensure safe, seamless, and well-coordinated operations, along with timely updates to passengers to help them plan ahead. Every passenger is important, and any inconvenience will be addressed with accountability.”
Earlier on Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) dismissed four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) in connection with the recent IndiGo flight cancellation crisis. The officials relieved from DGCA duties are Rish Raj Chatterjee, Seema Jhamnani, Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, and Priyam Kaushik. The DGCA notice stated, “Following approval from the competent authority, the following FOIs, employed on a contract basis in various categories, are relieved from DGCA with immediate effect to return to their respective parent organizations: Rish Raj Chatterjee, Consultant [Dy. CFOI(A)]; Seema Jhamnani, SFOI(A); Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, Consultant [FOI(A)]; and Priyam Kaushik, Consultant [FOI(A)].”
Meanwhile, a special four-member DGCA committee will meet IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to question him about last week’s widespread flight cancellations that caused major disruption at multiple airports. The committee has been set up to investigate the flight disruptions and ensure the airline improves its operations. The DGCA had earlier issued a show-cause notice to Elbers after the cancellations, to which IndiGo responded, requesting additional time and stating that it is “realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)” immediately due to the “complexity and vast scale of operations.”
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
The Melbourne Global Centre – Delhi recently hosted a special session on writer-diplomat Abhay K.'s book Nalanda: How it Changed the World. The discussion explored Nalanda Mahavihara’s historical role as a global hub of knowledge. Abhay K. emphasized the university’s wide-ranging academic disciplines, from astronomy and mathematics to medicine, philosophy, and poetry, noting how its interdisciplinary learning, diverse faculty, and merit-based scholarships offer a model for contemporary education.
During the event, Abhay K. remarked, “We aimed to highlight Nalanda’s contributions, its origins, and its decline. It is essential to understand Nalanda’s full narrative rather than fragments. This is precisely why I wrote the book. This conversation at the Melbourne Global Centre celebrates Nalanda’s international and universal outlook. Today, participants from Australia and India have come together to discuss the world’s first university, Nalanda.”
The session included students and officials from the Australia India Institute. Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute–Delhi, commented, “This has been an important day for our institute and a personal privilege to engage with Abhay K., an esteemed author and poet. Experiencing his narrative style interwoven with poetry through this book has been truly enlightening.”
Abhay K. also highlighted the revival of Nalanda University, whose new Rajgir campus was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024. He traced the spread of Buddhist thought from Nalanda to countries like China and Mongolia, emphasizing its strategic location and global influence. The event reaffirmed Nalanda’s legacy as a world-renowned centre of learning and its lasting impact on modern education and thought.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.
OpenAI unveiled its GPT-5.2 AI model, following an internal “code red” reportedly issued by CEO Sam Altman in early December, which paused non-essential projects and redirected teams to speed up development in response to Google’s Gemini 3. According to the company, GPT-5.2 features enhancements in general intelligence, coding capabilities, and long-context comprehension. The model is expected to provide greater practical value for users, improving tasks like creating spreadsheets, designing presentations, and managing complex multi-step projects.
Google launched the latest version of its Gemini in November, showcasing Gemini 3’s strong performance across several widely recognized AI benchmarks. “Gemini 3 has had less of an impact on our metrics than we feared,” Altman told CNBC on Thursday, alongside Disney CEO Bob Iger. Google has not yet commented to Reuters.
Disney announced it is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will allow the company to incorporate Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel characters into its Sora AI video generator. OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft, stated it has no plans to retire GPT‑5.1, GPT‑5, or GPT‑4.1 from its API. GPT-5.2 Instant, Thinking, and Pro versions will begin rolling out in ChatGPT on Thursday, starting with paid subscriptions.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Friday (Dec 12) that he is scheduled to speak with US President Donald Trump later in the day, as clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border enter their fifth day. Anutin told reporters the call would occur around 9:20 pm local time (10:20 pm Singapore time).
Trump has expressed eagerness to intervene again to halt the fighting and restore the ceasefire he brokered earlier this year, committing for a third consecutive day to call the leaders of both countries to try to stop the hostilities. Speaking at the Congressional Ball on Thursday, Trump highlighted his track record as a global peace-maker, claiming confidence in his ability to get the truce “back on track.” He said, “We’ve solved eight wars. Think of it. Eight wars have been solved, although Thailand and Cambodia, I think we are going to have to make a couple of phone calls… but we'll get that one back on track.”
The Thai and Cambodian militaries have been engaged in heavy fighting at multiple points along their 817-kilometer border, marking some of the most intense clashes since a five-day battle in July, which Trump helped end with calls to both leaders. At least 20 people have died and more than 200 have been wounded, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced due to days of artillery and rocket exchanges.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a Paris bookstore to sign copies of his memoir Journal of a Prisoner, which details his experiences during his imprisonment for criminal conspiracy. The event drew significant public and media attention as he discussed his time behind bars and its impact on his life.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.
Andrea Heng and Susan Ng discuss the impact of the US reviewing visa applicants’ social media histories, especially as tourist numbers are expected to rise for the football World Cup, with insights from Steven Okun, CEO of APAC Advisors.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
Australia is introducing a first-of-its-kind law that blocks minors from using social media without a parent’s approval. Andrea Heng and Susan Ng discuss the debate with Professor Tama Leaver from Curtin University’s Internet Studies program: is this a vital measure to safeguard young people’s mental health, or an impractical policy that limits digital freedom?
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
Malaysia’s ringgit has made an unexpected recovery, while Thailand’s baht continues to lag behind. So where does the Singapore dollar stand amid this regional currency reshuffle? Andrea Heng and Genevieve Woo explore the forces behind Asia’s currency winners and losers in 2024, and what households and businesses should monitor going into the new year, with insights from Saktiandi Supaat, Chief FX Strategist and Head of FX Research & Strategy at Maybank.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
During the daily market analysis segment on Open For Business, hosts Andrea Heng and Genevieve Woo engage in a detailed discussion with Mel Siew, who serves as the Portfolio Manager for Asia Public Credit at Muzinich & Co., covering insights, trends, and key developments impacting financial markets across the region.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.
