Top news headlines of today – 8 Dec 2025

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lamented that when national song Vande Mataram completed 100 years, the Constitution was "throttled" and nation chained by Emergency.

Initiating a discussion on 150 years of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, Modi noted that when Vande Mataram completed 50 years, India was reeling under colonialism.

"When Vande Mataram completed 50 years, country was under colonial rule while at its 100th anniversary the nation was under Emergency," he said.

Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deepender Hooda and A Bimol Akoijam are likely to be among the party's speakers during the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in the lower house, party sources said.

The party is also likely to field Praniti Shinde, Prashant Padole, Chamala Reddy and Jyotsana Mahant during the debate, they said on Saturday.

Follow this page as we track big developments of the day...

Dec 08, 2025 18:03 IST
Goa govt constitutes four-member panel to probe nightclub fire that killed 25
The Goa government on Monday constituted a four-member magisterial inquiry committee to ascertain the facts and circumstances that led up to the massive fire that gutted a nightclub, killing 25 people.
 
According to officials, fireworks have emerged as the likely cause of the blaze at 'Birch by Romeo Lane', a popular party venue in Arpora village, 25 km from Panaji.
 
As many as 20 nightclub employees and five tourists died in the incident late on Saturday night. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 17:56 IST
Stubble burning cases drop by 50% in Punjab, Haryana; Rs 68 cr fine imposed in 2 years
With stubble burning cases falling by more than 50 per cent and FIRs dropping from 6,469 to 2,193 within a year, enforcement against farm fires in Punjab and Haryana appears to have intensified, according to RTI data accessed from the CAQM.
 
The total number of farm fire incidents across the region fell from 12,750 in 2024 to 6,080 in 2025, according to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
 
Incidents of stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana directly impact Delhi’s air quality, which battles severe air pollution every winter. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 17:41 IST
Leadership change: Will abide by Cong high command decision, says Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday reiterated that he will abide by the Congress high command's decision on the leadership change issue in the state.
 
The CM has been repeatedly stating for the last few days that he and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar will go by what the high command decides on the chief minister change.
 
"Will abide by whatever the high command decides," Siddaramaiah told reporters in response to a question on his son and Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah's statement that there is no question of leadership change as of now, and that he believes that the former will continue as CM for five years. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 17:31 IST
Govt wanted debate on Vande Mataram as Bengal polls coming: Priyanka Gandhi
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said the government pushed for a debate on Vande Mataram as the West Bengal assembly polls were approaching and that it wanted to divert attention from the problems people were facing.
 
Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on 150 years of national song Vande Mataram, she hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is not the prime minister he used to be as his "self-confidence was decreasing and policies were weakening the country". READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 17:00 IST
Inquiry against Indigo on, will take strict action against airline: Aviation Minister tells RS
Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the government has initiated an inquiry into Indigo's mass flight cancellations and will take strict action against the operator to set an example for other airlines.
 
Blaming the airlines for its failure to manage the crew and duty roster through its day-to-day operations, Naidu said, “We are not taking this situation easily. We are doing an inquiry. We will take very, very strict action not only for this situation but also as an example.” READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 16:01 IST
PM tried to 'rewrite history' in Vande Mataram debate, BJP can't blot Nehru's legacy: Cong
The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech during the discussion on "Vande Mataram" in the Lok Sabha was intended to "rewrite history" and give a "political colour" to it, and asserted that no matter how much the BJP tries, it will not be able to put a single blot on the contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru.
 
The opposition party also said it was the Congress that gave "Vande Mataram" the importance it deserved and the status of national song. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 13:08 IST
Nation was under Emergency when Vande Mataram completed 100 years: PM Modi in LS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lamented that when national song Vande Mataram completed 100 years, the Constitution was "throttled" and nation chained by Emergency.
 
Initiating a discussion on 150 years of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, Modi noted that when Vande Mataram completed 50 years, India was reeling under colonialism.
 
"When Vande Mataram completed 50 years, country was under colonial rule while at its 100th anniversary the nation was under Emergency," he said. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 12:36 IST
Dileep cleared in 2017 Kochi assault case, prime accused Suni convicted
A Kerala court on Monday acquitted Malayalam actor Dileep in a case relating to the sexual assault of a South Indian actress in Kochi in 2017.
 
The court, however, found six others, including prime accused Sunil N S alias Pulsar Suni, who directly committed the crime, guilty.
 
Apart from Dileep, the court also acquitted three other persons in the case. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 12:32 IST
You are always with me: Sunny Deol remembers late actor Dharmendra on his 90th birthday
Actor Sunny Deol shared a video of his late father and Bollywood legend Dharmendra on his 90th birthday and said he is always with him.
 
Dharmendra, whose career spanned over six decades, died on November 24 in Mumbai at the age of 89. Just a few weeks before his 90th birthday. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 11:37 IST
Verify identity before hiring anyone: Adityanath to UP residents amid action against infiltrators
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday urged citizens to remain alert and get identity verification done before employing someone, asserting that Uttar Pradesh has launched strict and decisive action against illegal immigrants to safeguard security and social balance.
 
His appeal comes amid an ongoing crackdown against infiltrators across the state following his instructions to the authorities last week. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 11:35 IST
UMEED portal: 5.17 lakh Waqf properties initiated, 2.16 lakh approved
A total of 5.17 lakh Waqf properties were initiated on the UMEED portal while 2,16,905 properties were approved by the designated approvers during the six-month window provided, according to the data provided by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
 
The UMEED Central Portal for management of Waqf Properties in India, launched by Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on June 6, 2025, officially closed for uploads on December 6, 2025, completing its six-month window, as per the UMEED Act, 1995 and the clear directions of the Supreme Court. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 10:59 IST
Hyderabad airport receives bomb threats to three incoming flights
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has received bomb threats to three flights coming from different cities, including two international, sources said on Monday.
The airport received emails on late Sunday night targeting British Airways' (BA 277) from Heathrow, Lufthansa’s (LH 752) from Frankfurt and IndiGo's 6E 7178 from Kannur.
Airport sources said all the flights landed safely. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 10:45 IST
IndiGo cancels over 250 flights from Delhi, Bengaluru as disruptions enter day 7
Over 250 IndiGo flights were cancelled from Delhi and Bengaluru airports on Monday as the disruptions in the crisis-hit airline's flight operations entered the seventh day, sources said.
 
In another development, aviation safety regulator DGCA in an order on Sunday late evening extended the time by Monday 6 pm for IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras to submit reply to its show cause notice over the ongoing disruptions in the airline's operations. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 10:40 IST
Delhi shivers under smog as air quality slips to very poor
Delhi woke up to very poor air quality on Monday morning, with an average AQI reading of 318.
 
According to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer app, 27 stations recorded very poor air, while 11 stations were in the poor category.
 
According to CPCB, an Air Quality Index (AQI) between 0 and 50 is classified "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor" and 401 to 500 "severe". READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 10:34 IST
Equity markets decline in early trade dragged by services, realty stocks, FII outflows
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade on Monday weighed down by losses in services and realty stocks and sustained foreign fund outflows.
 
The 30-share BSE Sensex dropped 316.52 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 85,395.85 in the morning trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty declined by 106.70 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 26,079.75.
 
From the Sensex firms, Bajaj Finance, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, Maruti Suzuki India, Asian Paints, Mahindra & Mahindra, NTPC, ICICI Bank, PowerGrid, Hindustan Unilever and Larsen & Toubro were the laggards. READ MORE



Dec 08, 2025 09:04 IST
Goa fire tragedy: Govt steps up action against club chain; 2 properties sealed
Panaji: The Goa government has intensified its crackdown on the controversial Romeo Lane club chain after a deadly fire at one of its outlets claimed 25 lives, officials said on Monday.
 
Read more...



Dec 08, 2025 09:02 IST
Electric firecrackers likely caused blaze at Goa nightclub: CM Sawant
Panaji: A preliminary inquiry into the devastating nightclub fire in Goa suggests that "electric firecrackers" were set off inside the premises, sparking a blaze that claimed 25 lives, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said.
 
Read more...



Dec 08, 2025 06:20 IST
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta seeks 27 months to fix pollution
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday criticised those who protested at India Gate over deteriorating air quality, questioning the absence of their demonstrations during previous administrations when air pollution was a persistent issue.
 
Read more...



Dec 08, 2025 06:19 IST
IndiGo CEO, accountable manager get more time for replies to DGCA notices
New Delhi: Aviation watchdog DGCA on Sunday gave more time to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and the Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras to submit their responses to the show causes notices seeking their explanations on the flight disruptions.
 
Read more...



Dec 08, 2025 06:18 IST
Stone-pelting on Bajrang Dal's procession in Haridwar; heavy police force deployed
Haridwar: The atmosphere became tense in the Jwalapur area of ​​Haridwar in Uttarakhand on Sunday when a procession being taken out by the Bajrang Dal was allegedly pelted with stones, officials said.
 
Read more...



Dec 08, 2025 06:17 IST
Student at Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology found dead inside hostel room
Noida: A third-year student at an engineering institute in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district was found hanging in his hostel room, police said on Sunday.
 
Read more...



Dec 08, 2025 06:17 IST
Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, wife arrested for cheating Rajasthan doctor of Rs 30 crore
Mumbai:The Udaipur police on Sunday arrested popular filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife from Mumbai in a Rs 30 crore cheating case registered in Rajasthan, an official said.
 
Read more...