India, China hold fresh talks in Beijing; both sides say ‘positive progress’ in ties after Modi–Xi meet

Senior officials from the Foreign Ministries of India and China have held a new round of consultations in Beijing, affirming positive progress in bilateral ties after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in August. Sujit Ghosh, Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and Liu Jinsong, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, held consultations on Thursday (December 11), a press release by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Terrorist associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad held from J&K’s Pulwama; grenade recovered

The J&K Police on Friday (December 12, 2025) said a local terrorist associate was arrested from Pulwama’s Awantipora area. “In a major success against the terror network, J&K Police in Awantipora, along with security forces, arrested a terrorist associate involved in supporting terror,” the police said.

Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew appear in newly released photos from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate

House Democrats released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein on Friday (December 12, 2025), including some of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the former Prince Andrew.

Adani Green Energy case: SEBI clears insider trading charges against Pranav Adani, his relatives

Markets regulator SEBI on Friday (December 12, 2025) cleared Pranav Adani, a director in several Adani Group companies and nephew of billionaire Gautam Adani, of allegations that he shared price-sensitive information and violated insider-trading rules. Apart from Pranav Adani, SEBI also dismissed charges of insider trading rule violation against his two relatives.

Government likely to rename MGNREGS to ‘Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana’

The government is likely to introduce a Bill in the ongoing Winter session of Parliament amending the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), changing the name of the flagship rural employment scheme to “Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana”. According to senior government functionaries, the amended Bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet in its meeting held on Friday (December 12, 2025). There was no official announcement on the proposal at the Cabinet briefing addressed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Actor rape case convicts get 20 years rigorous imprisonment

The six convicts in the 2017 actor rape case were on Friday (December 12, 2025) awarded imprisonment for 20 years each on two counts for gang rape (IPC 376 D) and criminal conspiracy [IPC 120 (b)], among other punishments. However, all the punishments of the convicts will run concurrently, and they will have to serve a jail term of 20 years. The number of days they were imprisoned during the pendency of the trial will be deducted from the 20-year jail term, the court announced. Ernakulam Principal Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese awarded the punishments for the convicts on Friday.

India offers ‘final’ deal to U.S., but tariff removal is focus

India has offered the U.S. a revised “final” deal, but its priority now is the removal of the additional 25% tariffs linked to Russian oil, two different sources have confirmed to The Hindu. As per the latest submission, India has offered to “immediately” remove tariffs on the import of items like walnuts, almonds, apples, and industrial goods. However, these would be part of a larger Bilateral Trade Agreement, while India right now is focussing on the removal of the 25% tariffs.

IndiGo faces nearly ₹59 crore penalty in relation to GST; airline to contest order

IndiGo has been slapped with a penalty of nearly ₹59 crore in relation to GST, and the airline will contest the order, according to a regulatory filing on Friday (December 12, 2025). The Additional Commissioner of CGST, Delhi South Commissionerate, has imposed the penalty of ₹58,74,99,439 on the airline for the financial year 2020-21. In a filing to the BSE, IndiGo said the department has raised GST demand, along with penalty.

Very optimistic: India on possibility of sealing trade deal with Oman during PM Modi’s visit

India on Friday (December 12, 2025) said it is “very optimistic” about finalising an ambitious trade deal with Oman during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Gulf nation next week. Mr. Modi will undertake a four-day visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman beginning Monday (December 15) to shore up bilateral ties with the three countries, especially in areas of trade and defence.

China welcomes India’s decision to expedite business visas for Chinese

China on Friday (December 12, 2025) welcomed India’s move to speed up approval of business visas to Chinese professionals visiting the country for short periods, describing it as a “positive” step .“We’ve noted this positive move,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing here while replying to a question on reports that India will remove the red tape to speed up issuance of business visas to Chinese business professionals.

EU set to indefinitely freeze Russian assets, removing obstacle to Ukraine loan

The European Union looked set on Friday (December 12, 2025) to indefinitely freeze Russian central bank assets held in Europe, removing a big obstacle to using the cash to help Ukraine defend itself against Moscow’s invasion. EU governments aim to sign off by 1600 GMT, through a qualified majority vote, on a plan to immobilise 210 billion euros ($246 billion) worth of Russian sovereign assets for as long as needed to prevent major economic disruption to the EU economy.

Thai PM after Trump call says no ceasefire yet with Cambodia

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday (December 12, 2025) that there was no ceasefire yet with Cambodia and fighting was ongoing. Mr. Anutin was responding to a question from a reporter moments after briefing the media on his telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. The militaries of Thailand and Cambodia have been fighting at multiple locations along their 817 k.m. border in some of the most intense fighting since a five-day battle in July 2025, which Mr. Trump stopped with calls to both leaders to halt their worst conflict in recent history.

Lionel Messi’s tour of India: The full itinerary

Lionel Messi is set to touch down in India for a highly anticipated three-day GOAT Tour, scheduled from December 13 to 15. The football legend will travel to four cities — Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi — making it one of the most high-profile sporting visits the country has ever witnessed. The Argentine magician will be flying in from Miami, with a brief layover in Dubai aimed at adjusting to the time difference. He is expected to land in Kolkata around 1.30 a.m. on December 13, before embarking on a packed three-day itinerary.

Messi mania grips Kolkata as thousands welcome Argentine icon

Thousands braved the December chill and waited past midnight to give a rousing welcome to Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025. The Barcelona legend’s 2.26 a.m. touchdown in the early hours of Saturday (December 13, 2025) sent the city into an frenzy.

Union Cabinet approves ₹11,718 crore for Census 2027

The Union Cabinet on Friday (December 12, 2025) approved ₹11,718 crore for the Census 2027, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced at a press conference. Mr. Vaishnaw said the 2027 Census would be the “first-ever digital census”. “Census 2027 will be conducted in two phases, the first between April and September 2026 and the second in February 2027,” the Union Minister added

SIT charges four with murder in Zubeen Garg death case

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing into the death of singer Zubeen Garg, on Friday (December 12, 2025) charged four accused with murder in its charge sheet filed in a Guwahati court. The accused are Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddhartha Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, and Amritprava Mahanta, lawyers said.

Rajya Sabha pays tributes to former HM Shivraj Patil

The Rajya Sabha on Friday (December 12, 2025) paid tributes to former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who passed away this morning, with Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan saying that the country has lost a respected Parliamentarian and an able Administrator.

President Murmu urges all communities in Manipur to support efforts for peace, reconciliation

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday (December 12, 2025) called on all the communities of Manipur to continue the efforts for peace, understanding, and reconciliation and said that the Union government is committed to the well-being and progress of the people of the State.

Japan lifts tsunami warning after magnitude 6.7 earthquake

A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan on Friday (December 12, 2025), the weather office said, days after an even larger tremor shook the region and injured at least 50. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) upgraded Friday’s quake to magnitude 6.7 and warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) could hit the northern Pacific coastline.

India, New Zealand discuss ways to fast-track FTA talks

India and New Zealand on Friday (December 12, 2025) discussed ways to fast-track negotiations for the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries. New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay is here to review the progress of negotiations with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

Rahul Gandhi flags issue of air pollution, seeks discussion in Lok Sabha

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday (December 12, 2025) raised the issue of air pollution in major cities of the country and sought a discussion on it in the Lok Sabha. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mr. Gandhi said the discussion on the issue can be framed in an interesting manner where the Opposition and the government do not trade abuses at each other, but find a solution to the problem.

Nepal says economy suffered $586 million hit from ‘Gen Z’ protests

The anti-graft protests in September that forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign caused more than $586 million in losses to Nepal’s $42 billion economy, a government statement said on Friday (December 12, 2025). The youth-led protests and the unrest that followed killed 77 people and injured more than 2,000 others three months ago.

Major wildfire breaks out in Nagaland’s Western Dzukou Valley

A major wildfire broke out in Nagaland’s Western Dzukou Valley in Kohima district on Friday (December 12, 2025), officials said. The fire was first spotted by a tourist guide, who immediately alerted the Khonoma village authorities and the district administration, they said.

At least nine tourists killed as bus rams into gorge in Papikonda National Park in A.P.

As many as nine tourists were killed on the spot while three survived with severe injuries when a private travel bus, in which 35 tourists were travelling, rammed into an obstacle in the forest in Papikonda National Park near Tulasipaka village in Alluri Sitarama Raju district. All the tourists belong to Chittoor district.

Vinesh Phogat announces return to wrestling, a year after Paris Olympics disqualification

Three-time Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her return to wrestling on Friday (December 12, 2025). In an X post, she said “People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn’t have the answer. I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe.”

India slips to sixth in WTC standings after New Zealand’s big win against West Indies

India on Friday (December 12, 2025) slipped a rung to sixth position on the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand’s comprehensive nine-wicket victory against the West Indies in Wellington propelled them to the third place.