Simone Tata passed away at 95 on Friday at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after a brief illness. Born in Geneva in 1930, she moved to India in 1955 and soon joined Lakmé’s board. As chairperson from the early 1980s, she transformed Lakmé into a leading Indian cosmetics brand. After selling Lakmé to Hindustan Unilever, she founded the Trent company, launching the now-famed Westside retail chain. She was also active in philanthropy, guiding institutions like the Sir Ratan Tata Institute. (PC: ITG)

At Mumbai Airport, a foreign passenger lost her temper over IndiGo’s flight cancellations and climbed barefoot atop a counter, demanding answers. With all her belongings packed and no extra clothes, she also requested food, visibly frustrated at being stranded along with thousands of other passengers across India. Similar scenes played out nationwide, with travellers missing work, events, and personal commitments due to abrupt cancellations. Over 100 flights were cancelled at Delhi and Mumbai airports, caused by pilot and crew shortages under new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules. The government has put FDTL on hold and ordered a high-level inquiry to restore normal operations.

At HTLS 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized that for a country like India, it is crucial to maintain major international relationships in good standing. Speaking during Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, he stressed India’s need to preserve “freedom of choice” in foreign policy, ensuring it can cooperate with multiple global players without external vetoes. Jaishankar highlighted the importance of balancing strategic partnerships while protecting national interests, underlining India’s growing role on the world stage and the need for stable, mutually beneficial diplomatic ties. (PC: X)

During a high-level summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin prioritized strengthening economic and energy cooperation, deliberately avoiding public discussion on defence deals or Russian oil imports. Both leaders outlined a “Vision 2030” roadmap aiming to boost bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, with collaboration across energy, technology, civil nuclear power, and critical minerals. Russia reaffirmed its commitment to uninterrupted fuel shipments to India. Analysts view the summit as a strategic move to deepen economic engagement while navigating global geopolitical pressures, signaling a pragmatic approach to India-Russia relations. (PC: X)

Pregnant Sunali Khatun and her eight‑year‑old son returned to India 162 days after being pushed back to Bangladesh as alleged illegal immigrants. Their repatriation followed a December 1 bail order from a Bangladesh court. On Wednesday evening, the duo crossed into India at the Mahadipur border in Malda after coordination between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). While Sunali and her son were brought back, four others — including her husband — remain in Bangladesh. Social workers hailed their return as a historic moment, highlighting the struggles of migrant families wrongly labelled illegal. (PC: X)  

A viral video shows a distraught father confronting IndiGo staff at Delhi Airport, desperately demanding sanitary pads for his bleeding daughter amid the airline's fourth consecutive day of operational chaos. IndiGo cancelled all domestic flights from Delhi till midnight, with over 500 flights cancelled nationwide due to pilot shortages from planning deficiencies. The airline's punctuality has plummeted, affecting its 2,300 daily flights across 400+ aircraft. News18 couldn't independently verify the video's authenticity. The Union Government ordered a high-level inquiry into the disruptions, directing the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate accountability and recommend preventive measures. Thousands of passengers face severe stress, non-cooperative staff, and unclear communication.

SpiceJet announced it will operate 100 additional flights over the coming days to ease disruptions caused by IndiGo’s mass cancellations. Chairman Ajay Singh called the situation “extremely unfortunate,” noting the inconvenience to passengers while assuring government efforts to resolve the crisis. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has cancelled over 1,000 flights nationwide in four days, citing the need to realign crew and aircraft. CEO Pieter Elbers said normal operations may not resume until next week. SpiceJet’s move aims to provide relief to stranded travelers amid the chaos, marking a rare instance of one airline stepping in to stabilize India’s aviation sector during widespread disruption. (PC: Instagram)

A viral video shows a distraught father confronting IndiGo staff at Delhi Airport, desperately demanding sanitary pads for his bleeding daughter amid the airline's fourth consecutive day of operational chaos. IndiGo cancelled all domestic flights from Delhi till midnight, with over 500 flights cancelled nationwide due to pilot shortages from planning deficiencies. The airline's punctuality has plummeted, affecting its 2,300 daily flights across 400+ aircraft. News18 couldn't independently verify the video's authenticity. The Union Government ordered a high-level inquiry into the disruptions, directing the Ministry of Civil Aviation to investigate accountability and recommend preventive measures. Thousands of passengers face severe stress, non-cooperative staff, and unclear communication.

IndiGo announced full refunds for all cancelled flights between December 5 and 15 as its nationwide meltdown continues. The airline said refunds will be processed automatically. IndiGo also waived all cancellation and rescheduling fees. To support stranded passengers, the carrier arranged hotel rooms, transport, and food at major airports. Senior citizens will get lounge access where possible. Over 750 flights were cancelled on Friday alone, with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad worst affected. IndiGo blamed a pilot shortage and winter pressures. The airline warned of more cancellations until December 8 and said services will be reduced after that. (PC: PTI)

A new study by the Esya Centre shows most Indians feel safer because of street dogs in their neighbourhoods. The survey covered 1,063 people across 10 cities. It found that 73.5% see community dogs as friendly, and only 10.8% find them aggressive. The report also shows a sharp drop in rabies deaths, from 534 in 2004 to 54 in 2024. Many respondents said dogs help deter crime and keep women and children safe. The study urges better reporting of dog-bite cases, improved sterilisation, and stronger cooperation between municipalities and community feeders. (PC: The Print)