Parliament's Vande Mataram debate signaled an intense BJP-TMC battle ahead of West Bengal's 2026 assembly elections. Prime Minister Modi traced the National Song's 150-year history, accusing Congress under Nehru of truncating lyrics for "appeasement" politics. TMC MPs spoke in Bangla, challenging BJP's appropriation. TMC's Saugata Roy objected to Modi calling writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay "dada," insisting on "Bankim babu" which Modi accepted. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Shekhawat's error calling him "Bankim Das" gave TMC ammunition, branding BJP "arrogant" and "anti-Bengal." TMC plans leveraging this to prove Modi disrespects Bengal icons. While BJP positions itself as "insider" honoring Bengal's legacy, TMC hopes the debate favors themelectorally.

An IndiGo pilot's heartfelt apology amid flight delays went viral, earning widespread appreciation. Captain Pradeep Krishnan addressed stranded passengers, explaining he too wants to "go home" while promising to work fast. His video, shared on Instagram, garnered over 67,000 views. He apologized for inconveniences and requested passengers be kind to ground staff. His Coimbatore flight was delayed, but passengers remained patient and supportive. IndiGo's disruptions stem from new crew safety rules ensuring pilots get more rest, disrupting roster planning. The airline's on-time performance improved from 30% Saturday to 75% Sunday, offering full waivers for rescheduling and cancellations, with operations expected to stabilize by December 10.

IndiGo announced refunds for flights cancelled between December 3-15 with full waivers on change and cancellation requests, preponing the refund date by 48 hours amid mounting pressure. The airline has refunded over 9.5 lakh tickets worth Rs 827 crore, with six lakh tickets (Rs 569 crore) covering December 1-7's peak crisis. Aviation Minister Rammonan Naidu warned of tough action to "set an example." The chaos stems from two-year-old flight safety rules addressing pilot fatigue by increasing downtime, requiring more crew recruitment. IndiGo, operating 2,200 daily flights, fell short on pilots when rules kicked in, causing hundreds of cancellations. DGCA temporarily relaxed norms while opposition flagged the sector's duopolistic nature.

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma emerged as Pakistan's most-searched athlete in 2025, surpassing even Pakistani cricketers and generating more searches there than in India. Hassan Nawaz, Irfan Khan Niazi, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Abbas followed him. His popularity stems from stellar Asia Cup performances against Pakistan, scoring 31 off 13 in the group stage and 74 off 39 in Super-Four. In India, he ranked third in searches behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya. The top-10 included women's stars Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, plus three uncapped CSK players. IPL dominated overall Indian searches, with cricket tournaments occupying four of five top sports searches alongside Pro Kabaddi League. (PC: News18)

During the Lok Sabha debate on December 8, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Vande Mataram as a unifying national symbol and criticized the Congress for allegedly diluting its sanctity under historical pressures. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sharply contested his claims, calling the speech “weak on facts” and accusing the government of politicizing the national song ahead of West Bengal elections. She read out Subhas Chandra Bose’s letter highlighting selective historical representation, arguing the debate misrepresented events from 1937. Priyanka questioned the necessity of revisiting Vande Mataram decades after independence, labeling it an unnecessary politicization of a cherished national symbol. (PC: India Today)

Indian women’s cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana returned to training just a day after announcing the cancellation of her wedding to composer Palash Muchhal. Her brother Shravan shared a photo of her batting in the nets, which quickly went viral, with fans praising her resilience and professionalism, noting that “most people would take months” to recover emotionally. Mandhana has stated that her priority remains cricket, especially with the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka later this month. Her quick return to preparation reflects her strong commitment to the national team and her mental strength in difficult times. (PC: X)

As Vladimir Putin’s high-profile state visit to India concludes, New Delhi is actively working to finalise a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, potentially as early as January 2026. The move underscores India’s careful “tightrope” strategy of engaging both Moscow and Kyiv. Officials say the timing depends on factors such as former US President Trump’s peace plan and Ukraine’s internal political situation. (PC: AFP)

Thailand’s military initiated airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia after a clash that killed one Thai soldier and wounded three Cambodian civilians. Major-General Winthai Suvari said the strikes were meant to “suppress” further Cambodian attacks. Cambodia denied provoking the incident, claiming Thailand fired first and calling Bangkok’s military operations aggressive. The outbreak ends a fragile truce signed in October, triggering evacuations of tens of thousands on both sides. (PC: AFP)

Shahriar Tajbakhsh, co-founder and CTO of Metaview AI, said in a social-media post that even if the fee for an H‑1B visa rose to $100,000 per day, his company would still sponsor it — arguing that the value of skilled workers outweighs any cost. Metaview AI had posted a campaign in India declaring “Yes, we still sponsor H-1Bs” amid a backdrop of tightening U.S. visa norms under Donald Trump. Tajbakhsh emphasised that building transformative products requires world-class talent — “$100,000 just doesn’t matter” in that context. (PC: Linkdin)

A 29-year-old Chinese national, Hu Congtai, was detained after traveling in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh without authorisation, officials said. He entered India on a tourist visa valid only for Buddhist sites, but flew to Leh, skipped Foreigners Regional Registration Office checks, and toured Zanskar. In Srinagar, he stayed in an unregistered guest house and visited sites such as Harwan, Awantipura ruins, Shankaracharya Hills, and Mughal Gardens. His phone history revealed searches about CRPF deployments and Article 370. He holds a physics degree from Boston University, claims to be a travel enthusiast, and may face deportation for visa violations. (PC: The Hindu)