Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), the long-awaited greenfield aviation hub near Ulwe, officially commenced commercial flight operations on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, marking a major boost to air connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The airport launched with around 30 domestic flights connecting key cities such as Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru and more, aimed at relieving congestion at Mumbai’s existing airport and improving travel options. Built with modern facilities and infrastructure, NMIA is expected to expand services gradually, enhancing regional transport capacity and passenger convenience across western India. (PC: PTI)

India has expressed serious concern over the demolition of a Hindu deity’s statue in the ongoing military conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, calling the act “disrespectful” and hurtful to followers’ sentiments worldwide. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that Hindu and Buddhist deities are deeply revered across the region as part of shared civilizational heritage, and such actions should be avoided irrespective of territorial claims. India has urged both nations to return to dialogue and diplomacy, resume peace, and prevent further loss of life, property and damage to cultural heritage. Videos of the statue’s demolition have circulated widely on social media. (PC: ANI)

A passenger bus travelling from Bengaluru to Gokarna collided with a truck early Thursday on National Highway-48 in Chitradurga district, Karnataka. The impact caused the bus to catch fire and be completely gutted, trapping passengers inside. Police confirmed that at least nine people were charred to death and several others were seriously injured and rushed to hospitals in Hiriyur and Chitradurga. Preliminary reports suggest the truck crossed the central divider before the crash, triggering the blaze. Rescue teams and police are investigating the cause and working at the scene.

An American resident in Delhi shared how she manages dangerous seasonal pollution, especially in winter months. Kristen Fischer posted on Instagram that while outdoor air quality often reaches unhealthy levels, she keeps her indoor air safe by running four air purifiers, drastically reducing indoor AQI compared to outside readings. She emphasized that controlling indoor air is crucial for health, as outdoor pollution cannot be changed easily. Fischer noted that Delhi’s worst pollution is seasonal (November–January) and that limiting time outside helps her family cope with the city’s hazardous air.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has directed states to completely ban any new mining leases across the entire Aravalli range to protect the ecologically sensitive region from unregulated mining activities. The move follows a Supreme Court order freezing new leases until a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is finalized.The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has been asked to identify additional mining-prohibited zones beyond existing protected areas. Existing mines must comply with strict environmental safeguards. The directive aims to preserve the Aravalli geological ridge from Gujarat to Delhi and curb illegal mining. (PC: X)

The Unnao rape survivor and her mother were removed by police from a protest at Delhi’s India Gate on Tuesday. They were opposing a Delhi High Court order that suspended the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and granted him bail during appeal. A day later, Uttar Pradesh minister OP Rajbhar laughed when asked about the incident and said the survivor’s home was in Unnao. The survivor later told media that the decision had caused deep fear for her family. She said security for relatives and witnesses had already been withdrawn. The high court barred Sengar from approaching the survivor or her mother and warned that any breach would cancel bail. (PC: India Today)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged the BCCI to consider fast-tracking 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi after his record knock in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Playing for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh in Ranchi, Suryavanshi hit 190 off 84 balls with 15 sixes. He became the youngest List A centurion and the fastest Indian to reach a hundred at the time. Tharoor posted on X that the last similar prodigy was Sachin Tendulkar and asked what the selectors were waiting for. Bihar went on to post 574 for 6, the highest List A team total. (PC: HT)

A 21-year-old man was killed in a crude bomb attack in Dhaka on Wednesday evening, hours before exiled BNP leader Tarique Rahman is due to return to Bangladesh. Police said attackers threw an improvised bomb from the Moghbazar flyover at about 7.10 pm. The device hit Saiful Siam on the head as he stood on the road below. He died at the spot. The blast happened near the Muktijoddha Sangsad Central Command area, where security has been tightened before Rahman’s visit ahead of national elections. Officers sealed the area and began an investigation to trace the attackers and motive. (PC: India Today)

The Central Bureau of Investigation will move the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order that suspended the life sentence of former BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case. Sengar was convicted in December 2019 for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The court granted him bail while his appeal is pending. It barred him from coming within five kilometres of the survivor’s home or threatening her or her mother. Any breach will cancel bail. The survivor, now 25, held a protest in Delhi and met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Sengar will stay in jail as he is also serving a 10-year term for the custodial death of the survivor’s father. (PC: HT)

Five European campaigners have been denied US visas after Washington accused them of trying to pressure American technology firms to limit online speech. Two are from the UK. They are Imran Ahmed of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate and Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index. The others include former EU tech chief Thierry Breton and two leaders of German group HateAid. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the group was part of a “global censorship complex”. The UK government said it supports free speech while backing efforts to curb harmful content online. France, Spain and the EU criticised the move and sought clarification. (PC: BBC)