US foreign policy: Secretary defends military actions against Venezuela, says operations don't require congressional approval.
The Secretary said negotiated settlements in Ukraine and Gaza require reciprocal concessions and U.S. efforts aim to "nudge" both sides toward agreement, while the administration's military actions against suspected narco-trafficking in Venezuela are described as directed at "narco-terrorists" and supported by "very strong legal opinions" that neither require congressional notification nor cross the threshold into war.

India-Netherlands relations focus on advancing an EU-India Free Trade Agreement and deeper cooperation in defence and technology.
India sought Dutch support as it moves into a decisive phase of negotiations with the European Union on a Free Trade Agreement, while both countries agreed to deepen a strategic partnership across semiconductors, digital technologies, AI, renewables and life sciences. They recorded recent memoranda of understanding as bases for cooperation, discussed priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, reviewed regional security developments and reaffirmed zero tolerance against terrorism and the need for enhanced international counterterrorism cooperation.

Odisha commits to AI-led governance prioritizing local-language LLMs, responsible adoption, partnerships, and citizen-centric AI services.
Odisha commits to AI-led governance emphasising responsible adoption, applied use cases, ecosystem development, and local-language LLMs; it announced partnerships for capacity building and productivity improvements, introduced an AI chatbot for officials, and launched the 'Odisha Vision 2036 Immersive AI Zone' showcasing AI across healthcare, education, disaster management, governance, and citizen services.

Dense fog disrupts Delhi airport operations; airlines offer refunds and rescheduling while safety-led visibility rules guide flights.
Dense fog at Indira Gandhi International Airport led authorities to coordinate with meteorological services and operate under CAT III visibility procedures while airlines adjusted schedules. Airlines are offering full refunds and free rescheduling and airport directors were instructed to provide passenger support, with operational directives prioritising adherence to visibility and safety standards and inter-agency coordination.

Bokaro Steel Plant convenes Head of Projects meet to strengthen execution, enforce accountability, and adopt digital project monitoring.
SAIL's Bokaro Steel Plant convened a two-day Head of Projects meeting to accelerate expansion under Vision-2030 by strengthening project execution, enforcing time-bound accountability to resolve major pending issues by March 2026, and adopting the Digital Project Monitoring System for integrated physical and financial oversight, real-time reporting, early risk identification, and standardised project management across units.

MGNREGA protests demand restoration and coordinated resistance to new bills and labour code changes across villages.
SKM reported spontaneous, nationwide protests demanding restoration of MGNREGA, asserting repeal undermines the statutory right to employment, and called for unified, sustained mobilisation with workers' and agricultural unions to oppose the VB-G RAM G Bill, the Seeds Bill, the Electricity Amendment Bill and the four labour codes while pressing for MSP guarantees, guaranteed procurement and comprehensive loan waivers.

Punjab reduces registration fee for agriculture, dairy and fisheries cooperatives to Rs 1,000 to ease formation and participation.
The Punjab government reduced the registration fee for agriculture, dairy and fisheries cooperative societies from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,000, lowering the upfront financial barrier to formation and aiming to increase participation by small and marginal farmers to promote cooperative organisation and access to organised marketing.

West Bengal alleges the Centre withheld state dues and that electoral roll revision risks disenfranchising vulnerable voters.
The ruling party alleges the Centre has withheld nearly Rs 2 lakh crore of the state's rightful dues, misused central agencies and media to malign West Bengal, and engaged in cultural denigration and detention or deportation of regional-language speakers; it also contends the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls risks disenfranchising eligible voters, particularly refugee communities.

Immigration arrests in Washington involve frequent detentions and a challenged practice of warrantless sweeps targeting immigrant communities.
Federal law enforcement activity in Washington has produced a high share of immigration-related arrests, many involving individuals without criminal records; plaintiffs allege frequent warrantless detentions, checkpoints and sweeps targeting neighborhoods with large Hispanic populations, while a federal judge enjoined widespread immigration arrests absent warrants or probable cause. Government defendants assert arrests are lawful, based on criminal warrants or prior convictions, and that detainees receive due process; local authorities highlight limited ability to constrain federal operations.

Meghalaya tourism development: government to spend Rs 3,914.51 crore on 254 projects, including Taj resort and homestay subsidies.
The state has committed Rs 3,914.51 crore to 254 tourism projects, combining experiential attractions and the development of Umiam as a high-end, low-density hub with over Rs 500 crore earmarked; a plot was handed to a private operator for a Rs 330 crore five-star resort. The programme includes community measures such as the CM-Meghalaya Homestay Mission offering up to 70% subsidies to expand homestays to 3,000 units by 2028, and links investment to employment, local-business growth and increased tourism contribution to GSDP.

Prime Minister's Assam visit: inaugurates Guwahati airport terminal and pays homage to Assam Movement martyrs.
Prime Minister will inaugurate the Rs 4,000 crore integrated terminal at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, unveil an 80-foot statue of the first chief minister, pay homage at the Swahid Smarak Kshetra to 860 Assam movement martyrs, and perform the Bhoomi Pujan for a Rs 12,000 crore Ammonia-Urea fertiliser project in Namrup.

Rural employment scheme replaced boosting guaranteed workdays, nuclear sector opened to private participation, and 100% FDI in insurance enacted.
Parliament replaced the MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), increasing guaranteed unskilled work to 125 days per household; enacted the SHANTI Bill to permit private participation in the civil nuclear sector; and amended insurance laws via the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha Bill to permit 100% foreign direct investment, while repealing obsolete Acts, passing fiscal and excise amendments, approving Supplementary Demands for Grants, and referring higher education and market securities bills to committees.

Ride-hailing company faces criminal case for operating without licence and failing mandated safety and regulatory requirements.
A criminal FIR alleges a ride-hailing company operated paid passenger services via its app without a service provision licence, used the platform for financial gain since January 2025, and failed to comply with Maharashtra Two-Wheeler Taxi Act, 2025 requirements-driver antecedent verification, women's safety measures, compulsory helmet enforcement, fare regulation, accident insurance, and mandated electric vehicles-leading to charges under the cheating provision, the Information Technology Act, and the Motor Vehicles Act and triggering an administrative inquiry.

Home Guard recruitment saw 8,000 applicants for 187 posts, stressing public employment access and recruitment logistics.
Over 8,000 applicants competed for 187 Home Guard posts, prompting expanded security and aerial monitoring; the written selection was a timed 50-mark exam combining paragraph writing and general knowledge, administered after a long reporting interval, highlighting administrative choices affecting candidate experience and fairness in public recruitment and broader concerns about access to government employment.

Jal Jeevan Mission funding in Jammu and Kashmir seeks early release of central funds to restart stalled schemes.
A request for the early release of central funds was made to clear pending work done claims and restart stalled Jal Jeevan Mission schemes in Jammu and Kashmir, with the J-K government committing to timely execution, close monitoring and achievement of household tap connection targets; officials noted 81.22% rural coverage and an identified additional funding requirement of Rs 6,254 crore to complete remaining works under the revised mission timeline.

Real estate developers urged to add green areas, train labour, and embrace RERA-driven transparency and GST cost benefits.
The minister urged developers to incorporate green areas and provide labour skill training, noting that GST rate reductions on building materials can lower costs and enable better customer facilities. He described RERA as a structural reform improving transparency, protecting homebuyers, smoothing developer functioning, and raising construction quality, and encouraged industry dialogue with regulators to view regulation as an opportunity for credibility and business growth.

Odisha investor meet secured Rs 67,000 crore in investment intents, emphasising policy stability and facilitation.
The state secured aggregate investment intents of approximately Rs 67,000 crore at a two day investor meet, comprising 13 signed Memoranda of Understanding with combined proposed investments of Rs 27,650 crore and separate investment intentions of Rs 39,131 crore across pharmaceuticals, renewables, textiles, electronics, IT and advanced manufacturing, with stated potential employment generation of roughly 55,000 jobs; the government emphasised policy stability and a facilitative governance framework to convert intent into implementation.

VB-G RAM G Bill sparks nationwide protests, accused of shifting funding burdens to states and reducing rural guaranteed work.
The VB-G RAM G Bill replaces the existing rural employment guarantee law and is alleged to shift funding burdens to states, reduce central contributions, transfer work-allocation authority from panchayats to the Centre, and thereby risk fewer guaranteed work days and lower remuneration; it was reportedly advanced without state or parliamentary committee consultation, prompting opposition characterisation as anti-poor and plans for nationwide protests. The note also states a court declined cognisance of a money-laundering complaint in the National Herald matter, attributing the probe to a private complaint.

Eight officers promoted to DIG rank effective January 1, 2026 following screening committee recommendations within the AGMUT cadre.
An administrative order promotes eight AGMUT cadre IPS officers to the DIG grade at Level 13-A in the Pay Matrix, effective January 1, 2026 or from the date of assumption of charge, whichever is later, following recommendations of a screening committee meeting held on December 8, 2025.

Madhya Pradesh investment policy: state pledges policy support, incentives and operational assistance to attract investors.
Madhya Pradesh commits to an active investment policy offering policy support, incentives, ecosystem development, market linkages and operational assistance to investors, citing availability of land, water and skilled labour and linking these facilitation measures to a state growth summit and project inaugurations as part of an industrial and employment initiative.