International

India Fast-Tracks Business Visas for Chinese Executives

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

India has decided to fast-track business and professional visas for Chinese executives and technical experts as part of efforts to attract foreign investment and ease operational bottlenecks for industry. The move involves simplifying procedures and removing additional layers of security clearance that had slowed down approvals in recent years. Officials said visa

South India State News

Shivakumar Meets Congress Leaders Amid Karnataka Tussle

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader D. K. Shivakumar on Thursday held a dinner meeting with several Congress ministers and MLAs, sparking fresh political speculation amid reports of an internal power tussle within the ruling party. The meeting took place in Belagavi during the ongoing winter session of the Karnataka legislature. Ministers and […]

Health

Leprosy Cases Persist in Chennai Industrial Zones

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

A recent public health analysis has found that leprosy continues to persist in certain industrial and border areas of Chennai, despite the city’s overall low case burden. The presence of new cases, especially among children, has raised concerns about ongoing transmission in specific localities rather than residual infections from the past. Higher Child Cases in […]

AI & Robotics Technology

OpenAI Launches GPT-5.2 With Major Upgrades

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

OpenAI has announced the release of GPT-5.2, the latest update in its GPT-5 series, bringing improvements in reasoning, accuracy and task execution. The company said the new model is designed to handle more complex and longer tasks while delivering more reliable responses across professional and everyday use cases. GPT-5.2 is being rolled out across ChatGPT […]

International

IMF Tightens Conditions for Pakistan Bailout

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

Pakistan is facing tighter scrutiny under its ongoing bailout programme with the International Monetary Fund, with the lender imposing a fresh set of conditions linked to governance and corruption reforms. The additional requirements are part of the IMF’s extended financing arrangement aimed at stabilising Pakistan’s fragile economy and ensuring continued financial

Science Space & Astronomy

NASA Loses Contact With MAVEN Mars Orbiter

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

NASA has confirmed that it lost contact with its MAVEN spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars for more than a decade. The communication drop occurred on December 6, after the spacecraft passed behind the planet during its normal orbit. When MAVEN was expected to re-establish contact after emerging from Mars’ far side, mission controllers did […]

Technology

Google Expands Gemini Deep Research Access

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

Google has enhanced its Gemini Deep Research tool by opening it up to developers through a newly launched Interactions API. The move allows developers to integrate Gemini’s advanced research capabilities directly into their applications, expanding the reach of Google’s AI-powered research assistant beyond its own platforms. What Gemini Deep Research Does Gemini Deep

Business Markets

Sensex, Nifty End Higher on Broad Market Gains

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

Indian equity markets closed higher on December 12 as buying interest returned across key sectors. The BSE Sensex ended the session with solid gains, while the Nifty 50 comfortably held above the 26,000 level. The recovery came after recent volatility, with investors responding positively to supportive global cues and improved domestic sentiment. Sectoral Stocks Lead […]

International

Reddit Challenges Australia’s Social Media Age Ban

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

Reddit has filed a legal challenge in Australia against the country’s new law that restricts access to major social media platforms for users under the age of 16. The company has approached Australia’s High Court, arguing that the legislation unfairly applies to its platform and raises constitutional concerns. Reddit Questions Scope of the Law In […]

Health

WHO Reaffirms Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism

By BPN News Desk December 12, 2025

The World Health Organization has once again stated that vaccines do not cause autism, reaffirming the global scientific consensus on the issue. The clarification comes amid continued circulation of misinformation linking childhood immunisation to autism spectrum disorder. Extensive Research Shows No Link According to the WHO, decades of large-scale studies conducted