India

New Year’s Eve celebrations across India may be disrupted as thousands of gig workers associated with major delivery and e-commerce platforms plan a nationwide strike on Wednesday. Unions warn of delays and cancellations amid demands for fair pay and labour protections.

A Shiv Ling near Draksharamam temple in BR Ambedkar Konaseema district was allegedly vandalised. Police apprehended a suspect, registered a case, and launched an investigation. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has ordered strict action and monitoring of the probe

Kerala police arrested 25-year-old Roshidul Islam from Assam for allegedly spreading extremist content online and promoting religious hatred. He reportedly had international contacts and attempted to procure AK-47 rifles from Pakistan. Investigation is ongoing in Thrissur’s Kaipamangalam area

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi for winning bronze at the World Blitz Chess Championship in Doha. Erigaisi’s achievement, alongside his recent World Rapid bronze, highlights India’s growing prominence in global chess

Residents in Indore allege eight deaths from vomiting and diarrhoea due to contaminated water, while authorities confirm three. The Madhya Pradesh government announced compensation, suspended officials, ordered a probe, and cited pipeline leakage as cause opposition accusations of concealment persist

An NIA court in Guwahati sentenced Md Kamruj Zaman to life imprisonment for raising a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen module in Assam during 2017-18. He recruited members for terror activities; sentences run concurrently with fines, while co-accused earlier pleaded guilty, officials said Wednesday

Lokayukta arrested a Special Public Prosecutor in Kalaburagi for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes to argue better in an SC/ST atrocities case. The advocate was caught red-handed receiving Rs 25,000 after earlier payments, following a complaint from a Telangana resident

A 14-year-old Class 9 student was found dead at her home in Beed district’s Tambwa village. Police are probing the December 28 incident, with the cause unknown, after completing formalities and sending the body for post-mortem as investigation continues officially 

Around 60 workers were injured when two locomotive trains collided inside a tunnel at the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. All injured were rescued, and officials said their condition is stable

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences, recalling her contributions to Bangladesh’s development and India-Bangladesh relations

A couple was beaten and burnt alive by villagers in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district after being accused of witchcraft. Police have launched an investigation and registered cases under the BNS, reiterating that witch-hunting is a criminal offence in the state.

A painting displayed at the Kochi Biennale has sparked protests from Christian groups, who allege it distorts the sacred image of Christ’s Last Supper. The Syro-Malabar Church and Kerala Latin Catholic Association demanded removal of the artwork and an apology, saying it hurt religious sentiments.

At least three people have died and more than 100 were hospitalised in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area after allegedly consuming contaminated water. While residents claimed five deaths, officials confirmed three. A leakage in the main pipeline was detected, with suspicions that drainage water mixed with drinking supply.

Customs officials at IGI Airport in New Delhi seized nearly 200 grams of gold concealed in the waistband cavity of a passenger’s jeans. The passenger, who arrived from Riyadh on Monday, was intercepted after suspicious behaviour.

Addya finished on top with 42 hits, while Uttar Pradesh’s Sabeera Haris pushed her close till the latter stages but had to settle for silver with 41

As ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ heads for its season finale, Amitabh Bachchan delivers an emotional highlight by singing nonstop for over 32 minutes, turning the final episode into a celebratory tribute to music, memories and the show’s journey

Actor Sunny Leone’s New Year programme at a local bar in Mathura was cancelled after objections from local seers, who claimed the event would defame Brij Bhoomi and Sanatan Dharma. Leone was scheduled to perform as a DJ on January 1.

The Philippine President’s visit marks a shift from symbolic engagement to substantive strategic cooperation amid changing Indo-Pacific geopolitics

Salman Khan’s ‘Battle of Galwan’ teaser, depicting the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, went viral with 60 million views but drew criticism from China. Indian authorities defended cinematic freedom, noting films have historically portrayed military conflicts as artistic expression

The fact that the SC felt it necessary to constitute a new expert committee to review not only the findings of the earlier panel but also to clarify other issues suggests that the report was prepared in haste

Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned as vice president in July citing health reasons, has not yet been allotted his official post-retirement residence. He currently stays at a private farmhouse in Chhatarpur, despite requesting the entitlement from the Housing Ministry

Assam and Tripura police arrested 11 individuals linked to Bangladesh-based fundamentalist groups, including the Indian Mujahideen-K, for allegedly planning to destabilize the Northeast and establish "Muslim supremacy," based on intelligence from central agencies, officials said

In the iBomma piracy case, Hyderabad Cybercrime Police found suspect Immandi Ravi used forged identity documents of Bengaluru professional V Prahlad to run his piracy network, earning an estimated Rs 20 crore. Authorities froze Rs 3.5 crore during the ongoing probe

Tara Sutaria and Veer Pahariya hit back at social media trolls over clips from AP Dhillon’s Mumbai concert. The couple denied manipulated narratives, calling out “clever editing” and paid PR, stressing that love and truth remain unshaken