India

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will attend a friendly football match featuring Lionel Messi during the GOAT India Tour event at Hyderabad’s RGI Cricket Stadium. The event will include a short exhibition match and tight security arrangements.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has limited party president Vijay’s Erode campaign on December 18 to two hours, citing safety and regulatory compliance. The event will be held near Vijayamangalam toll plaza amid tightened crowd-control measures.

A thick layer of smog engulfed Delhi-NCR, pushing the city’s AQI to 387 in the ‘very poor’ category. Several areas recorded ‘severe’ pollution levels, prompting health advisories and warnings of heightened risks for vulnerable groups.

Democratic lawmakers in the US House have introduced a resolution to terminate President Donald Trump’s national emergency that imposed tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Indian imports, calling the move illegal and harmful to jobs, consumers and US-India ties.

Twenty US states have sued the Trump administration over a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, calling it illegal and harmful to public services. The states say the move worsens labour shortages in education and healthcare.

India slipped to sixth in the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand’s nine-wicket win over West Indies in Wellington. The Kiwis climbed to third, while Australia and South Africa remain top. India’s next WTC assignment is against Sri Lanka in August

Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025 will be high on glamour but low on football action. Unlike his 2011 visit, this promotional roadshow spans Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, featuring fashion events, celebrity matches and meetings with leaders

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Shubman Gill must bat freely in T20s, like he does in the IPL, instead of trying to justify his place. He also backed Suryakumar Yadav and admitted India’s bowlers had a poor outing against South Africa

Karnataka’s Hate Speech Bill risks becoming a cure more dangerous than the disease

The Indian men’s hockey team finished its South Africa tour unbeaten, winning two matches and drawing one. India defeated South Africa 5-2 in the opener, drew 2-2 in the second Test, and sealed the tour with a 4-1 victory

Fashion must evolve from being a disposable commodity to a creative practice rooted in responsibility

Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed 171 off 95 balls as India crushed UAE by 234 runs in the U19 Asia Cup opener in Dubai. India posted a record 433/6 before restricting UAE to 199/7, assuring a dominant start to their campaign

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s hat-trick gave Andhra hope, but Madhya Pradesh recovered from 14/3 to chase down 113 and win by four wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League stage. KS Bharat top-scored with 39 for Andhra

Indian shuttlers dominated the Odisha Masters in Cuttack, with Unnati Hooda, Tasnim Mir, Isharani Baruah, Kiran George and Rounak Chouhan reaching the semifinals. India assured multiple medals as all four women’s singles semifinalists are Indians, alongside strong doubles and mixed doubles performances

Swaritsinh Nakum struck a fine century to help Saurashtra post 245 against Hyderabad on the opening day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy under-16 second-round match at Mulapadu. Hyderabad replied with 64 for three at stumps, with Satvik scoring 35

Hyderabad defeated Mumbai by nine wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League Group B match at Pune. Mohd Siraj and Chama Milind starred with the ball, while Aman Rao and Tanmay Agarwal powered the chase with a 127-run stand

Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan felicitated the Indian blind women’s cricket team after their World Cup victory. The ACA organised the event, acknowledging his personal contribution to support the players. Senior ACA officials attended the felicitation ceremony in Hyderabad

The Indian women’s kabaddi team was felicitated in Mumbai by PKL and JioStar after winning the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka. India defeated Chinese Taipei in the final to claim their second consecutive title, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament

The Telangana Cricket Association criticised the Hyderabad Cricket Association for violating High Court orders and BCCI directives during the under-14 selections. TCA alleged mismanagement, lack of facilities and unfair trials, while announcing plans for the Telangana Premier League and Telangana Gold Cup

The Kollam Vigilance Court has denied bail to former TDB President A. Padmakumar in the Sabarimala gold heist case. The court dismissed his plea linked to alleged procedural lapses and illicit handling of temple property

A high-level committee finalised eight names for the Central Information Commission, with five from disadvantaged sections, including SC, ST, OBC, and minorities. Sources dismissed Rahul Gandhi's claim that the list lacked representation from marginalized communities

A group of former Supreme Court and High Court judges has condemned the attempted impeachment of Justice G R Swaminathan of Madras High Court, calling it a “brazen” move that threatens judicial independence and undermines constitutional democracy

The Faridabad and Red Fort blast investigations reveal that Jaish-e-Mohammad is creating proxy modules in India with minimal direct oversight, enabling Pakistan’s ISI to push deniable, low-visibility terror operations. Security agencies warn that similar self-inspired cells may proliferate nationwide

The Union Cabinet has approved Rs 11,718 crore for India’s first fully digital Census, scheduled in two phases from April 2026 to February 2027. The exercise will include electronic caste data collection and deploy nearly 30 lakh field staff using mobile app-based systems