Source: The Hindu , Indian Express and others

India-Russia friendship remains steady like the pole star, says PM

Appreciating Russian President Vladimir Putin for taking the India-Russia relationship to “new heights” over the past quarter of a century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out an expansive canvas of energy and trade collaborations between the two countries, stretching to 2030. Addressing the media after bilateral talks at Hyderabad House on Friday (December 5, 2025), Mr. Modi described the India-Russia friendship as a “guiding star” and called for a peaceful solution to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

2026 World Cup draw is kind to favourites as Trump takes limelight

Holders Argentina and leading contenders Spain were handed kind draws for the 2026 World Cup in a star-studded ceremony at which U.S. President Donald Trump received FIFA’s new peace prize. The event at the Kennedy Centre in Washington started the final countdown to the tournament, six months out from the first-ever 48-team World Cup.

FIFA gives President Donald Trump Peace Prize in departure from its traditional focus on sport

President Donald Trump was awarded the new FIFA peace prize on Friday (December 5, 2025) at the 2026 World Cup draw — giving the spectacle to set matchups for the quadrennial soccer tournament even more of a Trumpian flair.

IndiGo cancels 1,000 flights, gets exemption on night duty limits for pilots

IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Friday (December 5, 2025) and will axe hundreds more on Saturday (December 6, 2025), crippling air travel across India and sending airfares skyrocketing, which prompted the government to exempt the country’s largest airline from meeting new rules until February 10.

Civil Aviation Minister says Indigo flight operations to normalise in three days

IndiGo’s on-time performance plummeted to 8.5% on Thursday, with worsening operational disruptions impacting flight schedules. Citing several operational measures that have been directed to ensure that normal airline services are restored at the earliest, the Civil Aviation Ministry said it expects flight schedules to stabilise by Saturday (December 6, 2025).

Reworking’ procedures to resume MGNREGS in West Bengal: Centre informs Rajya Sabha

The Union Ministry of Rural Development is currently in the “process of reworking and refining the necessary modalities and procedures” to resume the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in West Bengal, it told the Rajya Sabha on Friday (December 5, 2025).

Prasar Bharati signs MoUs with Russian media organisations

Prasar Bharati entered into memoranda of understanding with Russian media organisations during Russian President Putin’s State visit to India, for cooperation in the field of broadcasting, content sharing and information exchange.

Bengal woman Sunali Khatun returns to India after being forced into Bangladesh

Sunali Khatun, the pregnant woman from West Bengal who was allegedly pushed into Bangladesh five months ago, returned to India on Friday (December 5, 2025). She entered the country with her minor child through the Malda district on the India–Bangladesh border, following intervention by the Supreme Court.

Frank Gehry, the most celebrated architect of his time, dies at 96

Frank Gehry, who designed some of the most imaginative buildings ever constructed and achieved a level of worldwide acclaim seldom afforded any architect, has died. He was 96. Gehry died on Friday (December 5, 2025) in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.

Path paved to link India’s skill base with Russia’s demand for labourers

India and Russia on Friday (December 5, 2025) signed two agreements that will enhance the mobility of Indian semi-skilled and skilled workers to Russia, as official sources indicated that New Delhi will increasingly utilise India’s “strength” in the category of “semi-skilled workers” in the coming years.

Petition seeking legal abolition of polygamy in India signed by 300 leading progressive figures

More than 300 leading Muslim activists and secular progressive citizens from across India—including women’s rights activists Zakia Soman and Noorjahan Safia Niyaz, social activists Medha Patkar, Javed Anand, Tushar Gandhi and film-maker Anand Patwardhan—signed a petition on Friday (December 5, 2025), seeking a complete legal abolition of polygamy in the country.

Israel’s cabinet approves 2026 budget with a hefty $35 billion for defence

Israel’s cabinet has approved the 2026 state budget, the Prime Minister’s office said on Friday (December 5, 2025), including 112 billion shekels ($35 billion) for defence, an increase from the 90 billion shekels budgeted in an earlier draft.

Will continue ‘uninterrupted’ fuel shipments to India, says Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday (December 5, 2025) he was ready to continue “uninterrupted shipments” of fuel to India, as New Delhi faces heavy U.S. pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. “Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything that is required for the development of India’s energy,” Mr. Putin told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a visit to New Delhi.

Ahead of foundation stone-laying of Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad, Calcutta HC refuses intervention

The Calcutta High Court on Friday (December 5, 2025) refused to intervene in the construction of a mosque — modelled on Ayodhya’s Babri Masjid — at Beldanga in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, proposed by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir.

PTI, TASS sign agreement for exchange of news content on India, Russia

The Press Trust of India and Russian news agency TASS on Friday (December 5, 2025) signed a cooperation agreement for the regular exchange of news content on developments in India and Russia. The agreement was inked by Vijay Joshi, PTI’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief, and TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov on the sidelines of the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi, coinciding with the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India.

AAP’s Raghav Chadha demands ban on 10-minute delivery services, protection for gig workers

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Friday (December 5, 2025) demanded the termination of 10-minute delivery services offered by quick commerce players, terming the practice as “cruelty” towards gig workers who risk their lives to meet deadlines under extreme pressure.

No deadline extension for Waqf registration, 3 month-reprieve for those who tried but couldn’t: Rijiju

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday (December 5, 2025) ruled out extending the deadline for registering Waqf properties on the UMEED portal, but said a way would be found for those who attempted registration but could not complete and that they will be exempted from penalties for the next three months.

Road accident deaths rise to 1.77 lakh in 2024: Gadkari

The number of road accident fatalities in India rose 2.3% to over 1.77 lakh in 2024, resulting in the death of 485 persons every day, Parliament was informed. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said that the Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety, adopted at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in February 2020, sets a new global target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50% by 2030.

Adults can be in live-in relationship even without attaining marriageable age: Rajasthan HC

The Rajasthan High Court has ruled that two consenting adults are entitled to be in a live-in relationship even if they have not yet reached the legal age for marriage, underscoring that constitutional rights cannot be curtailed on that ground.

India lose 1-3 to Germany at Junior Women’s World Cup

Hina Bano scored the lone goal as the Indian junior women’s hockey team suffered a 1-3 defeat against Germany in its second match at the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup campaign here on Wednesday. Lena Frerichs (5’), Annika Schönhoff (52’) and Martina Reisenegger (59’) got on the scoresheet for Germany.

ED attaches assets worth ₹1,120 crore in Reliance Home Finance case

The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached assets worth ₹1,120 crore in connection with an alleged fraud case involving Reliance Home Finance, Reliance Commercial Finance Limited, and Yes Bank, according to agency sources.

Indians among delivery riders detained for working illegally in U.K.

Indians are among 171 delivery riders caught working illegally in a U.K.-wide crackdown and have been detained for deportation from the country, the British government has said. The U.K. Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams undertook an ‘Operation Equalise’ over seven days last month, which involved stopping to check the documents of delivery riders operating in villages, towns and cities across Britain.

High Court rejects mosque’s plea to use loudspeaker, says no religion mandates prayers with voice amplifiers

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court refused to grant relief to a mosque seeking permission to use loudspeakers, noting it was not entitled to use the device to practise religion as a matter of right. The court, while relying on Supreme Court judgments, said that no religion mandates prayers to be offered through voice amplifiers or beating drums.

Current situation risks rendering ongoing operations untenable: ISL clubs to AIFF

Twelve Indian Super League (ISL) clubs on Thursday (December 4, 2025) urged the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to resolve the crisis in the domestic game without any further delay, saying that the current situation risks rendering their “ongoing operations untenable”.

Thirupparankundram issue: T.N. government seeks early hearing in Supreme Court, respondents accuse State of playing ‘drama’

The Supreme Court on Friday (December 5, 2025) saw a mercurial few moments when a Tamil Nadu government counsel’s effort for an early listing of an appeal challenging a Madras High Court order allowing worshippers of the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light lamps at the Deepathoon (stone lamp pillar) atop the Thirupparankundram hill, located close to a dargah, was resisted by the rival camp as an attempt to create “drama”.