TODAY NEWS ON December 08, 2025

 Source: The Hindu , Indian Express and others

PM Modi to initiate debate on Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on December 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha on Monday (December 8, 2025), while Home Minister Amit Shah will begin the discussion in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (December 9, 2025). Lok Sabha has listed ‘Discussion on the 150th anniversary of national song Vande Mataram’ on Monday (December 8, 2025) and allocated 10 hours for the debate.

Thousands of devotees from across Bengal, other States arrive in Kolkata for mega Gita recital

Thousands of devotees, including sadhus and sadhvis from across West Bengal and adjoining States, have begun assembling at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Sunday (December 7, 2025) morning to participate in a mega Bhagavad Gita recital.

Gita chanting event in Kolkata turns into political show of strength for BJP

Lakhs of devotees, including all senior leaders of the West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday participated in a mega Bhagavad Gita recital at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground. The event, which came a day after the foundation stone of a Babri Mosque was laid at Beldanga in Murshidabad by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir, became an occasion of political muscle flexing for the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies.

Goa nightclub fire: Locals recount night of horror and violations that led to it

“I am still shivering... I could not sleep the whole night,’’ said Ami Manocha, a witness who finds it hard to recount the night of the fire that claimed 25 lives in a nightclub in Goa on Saturday (December 6, 2025). Mr Manocha, a businessman from New Delhi, who has made Goa his home, was supposed to attend the Bollywood musical night party being held in the club on Saturday, but went to another place with friends. “It was just a stroke of good luck,” he said.

DGCA gives IndiGo 24-hour ‘final extension’ to respond to show-cause notice

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted a one-time 24-hour extension to IndiGo’s Accountable Manager and CEO to submit their response to the show-cause notice issued on December 6 over the airline’s large-scale operational disruptions and regulatory non-compliances. In a communication dated December 7, IndiGo’s top officials sought more time, citing operational constraints arising from the magnitude of disruptions across multiple airports and the complexity of managing nationwide recovery efforts. After reviewing the request, the DGCA extended the deadline only until 6 p.m. on December 8, making it clear that no additional extensions would be allowed.

IndiGo crisis eases after six days; ₹610 crore refunded as govt. tightens oversight

After six days of nationwide disruption, IndiGo on Sunday (December 7, 2025) reported significant progress in stabilising its flight operations, even as the Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that the airline has processed ₹610 crore in refunds and delivered 3,000 pieces of delayed baggage to affected passengers. The crisis, which began on Tuesday, had triggered more than 2,000 cancellations and widespread delays, leaving thousands stranded across airports in India.

Parliamentary panel to summon Indigo executives, regulator over flight disruptions

A parliamentary panel is likely to summon top executives of private airlines and the civil aviation regulator over the mass cancellation of IndiGo flights that have left thousands of travellers stranded across the country’s airports.100 kidnapped Nigerian schoolchildren released: Report

Nigerian authorities have secured the release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic school last month, a UN source and local media said Sunday (December 7, 2025), though the fate of another 165 students and staff thought to remain in captivity remains unclear. In November 315 students and staff were kidnapped from St. Mary’s co-educational boarding school in north-central Niger state, as the country buckled under a wave of mass abductions reminiscent of the infamous 2014 Boko Haram abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok.

U.S. envoy says Ukraine peace deal is close but Moscow says it wants radical changes

U.S. President Donald Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy said a deal to end the Ukraine war was “really close” and depended on resolving just two major issues but the Kremlin said there had to be radical changes to some of the U.S. proposals. Mr. Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a “peacemaker” president, says that ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two has so far been the most elusive foreign policy aim of his presidency.

‘Good banter’: Smith and Archer clash in Gabba Ashes Test

Pumped-up Australia captain Steve Smith and England fast bowler Jofra Archer had a fiery verbal clash near the climax of the second Ashes Test on Sunday (December 7, 2025) at the Gabba. The hosts won the day-night Test by an emphatic eight wickets in Brisbane to seize a 2-0 lead in the series. Smith hit the winning runs including pulling Gus Atkinson for a huge six over square leg to finish the job in style.

Soldiers announce apparent military coup in Benin

A group of soldiers has appeared on Benin’s State TV announcing the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup, the latest of many in West Africa. The group, which called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, on Sunday (December 7, 2025) announced the removal of the President and all state institutions.

AUS vs ENG 2nd Ashes Test: Steve Smith’s brilliance propels Australia to a victory in the 2nd test and a 2-0 Ashes lead

Steve Smith took a brilliant reflex catch to swing momentum just before Ben Stokes’ defiant half-century ended in a rush of England wickets on Sunday (December 7, 2025), then he hit the winning runs in the second cricket test to give Australia a 2-0 Ashes lead. Day 4 was a tale of two captains.

Trump’s Pentagon chief under fire as scandals mount

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is under mounting pressure from scandals surrounding strikes on alleged drug boats and his use of Signal to discuss sensitive military information, sparking growing criticism and calls for him to quit.

Sri Lanka issues landslide warnings as cyclone toll hits 627

Sri Lankan authorities issued fresh landslide warnings on Sunday with rains lashing areas already devastated by a powerful cyclone, as the death toll rose to 627. A chain of tropical storms and monsoon rains has battered Southeast and South Asia, setting off landslides, flooding vast tracts and cutting off communities from Sumatra island’s rainforests to the highland plantations of Sri Lanka.