Top news headlines of today – 9 Dec 2025

New Delhi: Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday hit out at the opposition, countering their charge on the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list and said the exercise has been held multiple times since 1952 and is required to clean up electoral rolls, which change due to migration and rapid urbanisation.

Intervening in the Lok Sabha during a debate on 'election reforms', Meghwal accused the Congress party of engaging in "vote chori" (vote theft) since the first Lok Sabha elections, including rigging elections to ensure the defeat of B R Ambedkar.

He said the opposition, including the Congress, blames electronic voting machines and the SIR for their repeated defeats, but fails to introspect on the reason.

Meghwal highlighted the recent electoral situation in Bihar as an example of the opposition attempting to blame others for their losses. He said that the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, carries a copy of the Constitution but does not take the time to read it.

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

Dec 09, 2025 20:49 IST
Delhi bans use of coal, firewood in tandoors
New Delhi: Amid persistently high pollution levels in the capital, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has issued directions mandating a strict ban on the use of coal and firewood in tandoors across all hotels, restaurants and open eateries in the city.
Read more...



Dec 09, 2025 18:16 IST
USD 20 bln of IPOs per year a new normal for India: JP Morgan
Initial public offerings worth USD 20 billion per annum are the "new normal" for India and will become an annualised run rate over the next few years, one of the biggest investment bankers said on Tuesday.
The market, which has seen a slew of initial share sales this fiscal, has already witnessed USD 21 billion of issuances in 2025, the same as last year, and we should close the year with over USD 23 billion, given the fact that some large issues like the Rs 10,000 offering from ICICI Prudential AMC are in process, said JP Morgan. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 18:03 IST
Russian An-22 military transport plane crashes in Ivanovo during test flight
An Antonov An-22 military transport aircraft with seven people on board crashed in Russia's central Ivanovo Region on Tuesday during its first flight after repairs, the defence ministry said.
"The aircraft crashed in an unpopulated area. A search and rescue crew has left for the accident site to determine the fate of the aircraft's crew,” the ministry said. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 17:56 IST
Vote chori biggest anti-national act, BJP indulging in it in collusion with EC: Rahul
In a no-holds-barred attack in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of indulging in the "biggest anti-national act" by committing "vote chori" in collusion with the Election Commission and destroying the idea of India.
Gandhi posed three questions which he claimed make it clear that the BJP is "directing and using" the Election Commission to damage India's democracy. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 17:32 IST
IndiGo says operations stable, baggage returned, refunds underway: CEO
Crisis-ridden IndiGo on Tuesday claimed that the airline is back on its feet and operations are stable, even as it keeps addressing all customer needs.
In the latest video message, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers also said that lakhs of customers, whose flights were cancelled or delayed, have already received their full refunds, and the process is ongoing on a daily basis.
Elbers, however, remained tight-lipped on the compensation to customers, whose flights were cancelled at the last minute or were hugely delayed. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 16:31 IST
'Deal with it or it will cause anarchy', SC to EC as it flags threats to BLOs doing SIR work
The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over BLOs and other officials engaged in SIR 2.0 being "threatened" in West Bengal and other states, and asked the Election Commission to deal with the situation or "it will cause anarchy".
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also voiced concern over the alleged lack of cooperation by state governments in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and said, "What we want to ensure is that the SIR is done on the ground without any glitches." READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 16:22 IST
IndiGo cancels 422 flights across 6 metro airports; 152 in Delhi alone
IndiGo cancelled 422 flights from six metro airports on Tuesday, as the disruption in the crisis-hit airline prolonged for the eighth consecutive day, according to sources.
Of the 422 flights cancelled, Delhi Airport witnessed 152 flight cancellations and 121 at Bengaluru Airport, they said.
The number of IndiGo flight cancellations at Hyderabad stood at 58 and 41 in Mumbai, sources said. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 15:57 IST
DGCA orders IndiGo to cut flights by 5% during winter; Minister promises strict action
Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered IndiGo to cut its planned flights by 5 per cent on high-capacity routes during winter, as it looked to bring some order at India's biggest airline, which cancelled thousands of flights nationwide after failing to plan for tighter safety regulations.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in the December 8 order, asked IndiGo to submit a revised schedule by Wednesday.
As part of the winter schedule for 2025-26, the airline has been operating over 2,200 flights per day. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 15:47 IST
Decision to use first two stanzas of Vande Mataram was not of Nehru alone: Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of insulting Jawaharlal Nehru, as he said the decision to use only the first two stanzas of 'Vande Mataram' as the national song was collectively taken by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.
As the ruling BJP accused the Congress of 'dividing' the song written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Kharge countered the ruling party, saying that Congress leaders have always been chanting 'Vande Mataram'. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 15:40 IST
Polling in key Kerala local body elections crosses 50% in 7 hours
Polling in seven districts of Kerala in the first phase of the crucial local body elections on Tuesday, viewed by many as a key indicator ahead of next year's state legislative assembly contest, crossed the 50 per cent mark seven hours after voting commenced.
Voting began at 7 am for the local bodies in seven districts--Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam and by 2 pm, the polling percentage crossed 50 per cent, according to the State Election Commission (SEC) figures. READ HERE



Dec 09, 2025 15:14 IST
Mamata alleges EC will announce Bengal polls soon after SIR to block legal challenges
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that assembly elections in the state would be announced immediately after the publication of the final electoral rolls following the SIR exercise in February to prevent legal challenges.
Addressing a public meeting in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee alleged that the SIR exercise was being used to instil fear among voters. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 14:37 IST
'Vande Mataram' debate: TMC MPs hold silent protest against 'insult' of Bengal icons by BJP
Trinamool Congress MPs on Tuesday held a silent protest in the Central Hall of Parliament to protest the "insult" of Bengal icons Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee by the BJP.
The MPs sat in silence in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, holding the portraits of Tagore and Chatterjee. Later, they stood at the gate of the Samvidhan Sadan.
The protest came a day after a discussion on 150 years of "Vande Mataram" was held in the Lok Sabha. The debate was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 14:30 IST
Shiv Sena, BJP to have tie-up for municipal elections in Mumbai, elsewhere: sources
After days of bickering, the ruling allies BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have decided to contest the elections to municipal corporations in Maharashtra including Mumbai and Thane as an alliance, Sena sources claimed on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde decided at a late-night meeting on Monday that the ruling parties will contest these polls as members of the existing Mahayuti alliance, the sources said.
The dates for the municipal corporation elections are yet to be announced. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 14:11 IST
TVK chief Vijay says 'DMK regime must learn from union territory govt'
Actor-politician, TVK chief Vijay held his first public meeting in the union territory on Tuesday and said the DMK regime in neighbouring Tamil Nadu must learn from the impartial government led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
He also targeted the Centre for not paying attention to the long time demand for statehood.
Addressing the rally from his custom-made campaign vehicle, Vijay said though his party, the TVK, is a rival outfit the Puducherry government has given full security to the rally and the DMK must learn from it. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 13:58 IST
SC expresses concern over BLOs being threatened in Bengal and other states
The Supreme Court on Tuesday took serious note of BLOs and other officials engaged in SIR 2.0 being "threatened" in West Bengal and other states, and asked the Election Commission to bring such instances to its notice or "it will cause anarchy".
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked the poll panel to take serious notice of the lack of cooperation by different state governments in the work for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 13:35 IST
Sonia Gandhi at 79: Tributes pour in from political leaders
Birthday wishes poured in for former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as she turned 79 on Tuesday, with the Congress saying her visionary leadership did not just guide the party but transformed India through landmark rights-based laws such as MGNREGA and the National Food Security Act.
Gandhi, who is the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, turned 79 on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted Sonia Gandhi on her birthday, wishing her good health. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 13:22 IST
Gambhir, Suryakumar visit Jagannath temple ahead of first T20 against SA
Ahead of the first T20 International against South Africa at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium, four members of Team India, including head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, visited the Shree Jagannath Temple here on Tuesday to seek blessings.
Suryakumar, accompanied by his wife Devisha Shetty, entered the 12th-century shrine amid tight security.
"Jai Jagannath," the skipper chanted as he walked into the temple, escorted by security personnel and Puri SP Prateek Singh.
Players Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar also offered prayers. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 13:12 IST
Suvendu Adhikari alleges TMC fast-tracking caste, tribal certificates for infiltrators
West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday alleged that the TMC government in the state was "frantically" organising camps to fast-track issuance of SC, ST and OBC certificates for "undocumented infiltrators and fake claimants".
Sharing a memo issued by the block development officer of Kandi in Murshidabad district about three such in-person camps from December 8 to 12 at panchayat offices, Adhikari urged the Election Commission to closely scrutinise all certificates issued after June 24, as the SIR exercise in the first phase in Bihar started on that date. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 12:28 IST
Aftershocks feared as 7.5-magnitude earthquake injures 33 in Japan
Japan was assessing damage Tuesday and cautioning people of potential aftershocks after a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities.
At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of them were hit by falling objects, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force was formed to urgently assess damage. “We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can,” she said. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 12:27 IST
Cambodia, Thailand resume fierce border clashes as Hun Sen vows fight
Cambodia's powerful Senate President Hun Sen on Tuesday vowed that his country would carry out a fierce fight against Thailand as a second day of widespread renewed combat between the Southeast Asian neighbours drove tens of thousands of people to flee border areas.
Fighting broke out following a skirmish in which one Thai soldier was killed Sunday night, despite a ceasefire that ended five days of fighting in July over competing territorial claims along their border, which resulted in dozens of civilian and military dead on both sides, and the evacuation of over 100,000 civilians. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 12:00 IST
Delhi’s pollution politics: Eloquence, gaffes and the same failed ideas
Arvind Kejriwal’s latest comment on Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s “temperature” remark on air quality has reopened a familiar debate in Delhi – whether a chief minister’s eloquence is enough to solve people’s problems, or whether it only helps a leader survive longer despite failing to fix basic issues.
The recent controversy began with Gupta’s description of the Air Quality Index (AQI) at the HT Leadership Summit. She linked AQI to “a temperature which can be measured from any instrument”. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 11:00 IST
IPL auction to feature 350 players including 240 Indians; Quinton de Kock added
A total of 350 cricketers -- 240 Indians and 110 overseas players -- will go under the hammer in the Indian Premier League auction to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16, with South Africa's wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, who recently came out of his ODI retirement, featuring in the final list.
De Kock is a late addition to the list at a base price of Rs 1 crore. The list also includes Australia batter Steve Smith at a base price of Rs 2 crore. Smith last played in the IPL in 2021. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 10:52 IST
NDA MPs celebrate Bihar triumph, felicitate PM Modi in Parliament
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was felicitated at a meeting of all MPs of the ruling NDA on Tuesday for the coalition's massive victory in the recent Bihar elections.
Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and J P Nadda, who is also the BJP president, were among those present at the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting held at the Parliament House complex here.
Modi was garlanded by JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha -- both Rajya Sabha members. READ MORE



Dec 09, 2025 10:10 IST
PM Modi greets Sonia Gandhi on her 79th birthday
Birthday greetings to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji. May she be blessed with a long life and good health.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 9, 2025



Dec 09, 2025 08:15 IST
SIR debate: How Mamata is playing ‘tu daal daal, main paat paat’ with EC to derail SIR
If you’re following the SIR storm and today’s so-called ‘electoral reforms’ debate in Lok Sabha, this fact-based breakdown of the Bengal-Bihar contrast is a must-read.
Read the full article...



Dec 09, 2025 07:38 IST
Registrar General asks states to appoint census functionaries by January 15
New Delhi: The Registrar General of India (RGI) has directed all the states and Union territories to complete the appointment of census functionaries -- the officers responsible for the massive data collection exercise -- by January 15, 2026, according to a latest circular.
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Dec 09, 2025 07:37 IST
Punjab Congress suspends Navjot Kaur Sidhu over 'Rs 500 crore for CM chair' remark
Chandigarh: The Punjab Congress on Monday suspended Navjot Kaur Sidhu from its primary membership after her "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark sparked a political row.
Read more...