Congress hopeful of political comeback despite blow to MVA in Maharashtra local body polls

Central Railway on Monday announced the operation of 76 special trains to cater to passenger demand during the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities, an official said.

Speaking to ANI, CPRO Swapnil Nila said, "The Central Railway has scheduled 76 special trains for Christmas and New Year. These include trains from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Karmani. Additionally, 8 special trains are operating from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Thiruvananthapuram, and another 8 from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Mangalore."

A Special Vacation Bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant refused an oral mentioning to hear on Monday (December 22, 2025) an urgent plea to stop the Prime Minister’s Office from offering a ceremonial chadar at the dargah of the Sufi mystic Khwaja Moinuddin Chishtu in Ajmer during the Urs commemorating the saint’s death anniversary.

A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar is an accused.

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed conviction of former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate in a cheating and forgery case. A vacation bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Maharashtra government on Kokate's plea.

Air India said AI887 from Delhi to Mumbai decided to return to Delhi shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. An issue with one of the engines reportedly forced an Air India plane bound for Maharashtra's Mumbai to return to Delhi on Monday morning after being airborne for about an hour.

Air India has decided to stop its non-stop flights to San Francisco from Bengaluru and Mumbai starting March 1, causing confusion among passengers who have already booked tickets, especially for travel after February 28. Many travellers are now unsure about their plans and are seeking clarity from the airline.

"For new mining, the Supreme Court's plan is that there will be a scientific plan first, ICFRE will be involved. Only then will it be considered. But I am saying very clearly that it will not be possible in more than 0.19 per cent of the area. Mining was already going on. Permissions were being granted on that basis. But what was happening there was anomaly and illegal mining. By clearly defining the restricted and prohibited areas, you can ensure strict compliance."

The Uttar Pradesh government has served notices to 20 anganwadi workers, who were engaged as booth-level officers (BLOs) for the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Varanasi district, for allegedly failing to complete their assigned work.

Microsoft has joined Google, Apple and other tech companies in warning certain visa-holding employees to avoid international travel. This advisory comes after thousands of H-1B visa holders who came to India for visa stamping got stuck in the country as their physical interviews were rescheduled.

Bangladesh Police on Sunday said they have no "specific information" on the whereabouts of the prime suspect in the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

"In the 2017 local body elections, the Shiv Sena had only 27 mayors. In 2025, we have won in over 60 places and are hopeful of winning almost 70. This is because of the leadership of Dy CM Eknath Shinde, who has campaigned on the ground tirelessly... It is apparent that people have chosen to vote on development and not on surnames. Those people who believe they can do their politics from home have been made to sit at home. In this election, it has been proven that only the politics of performance works."

The Centre on Sunday rejected reports that the definition of the Aravalli hills had been changed to allow large-scale mining, and cited a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new mining leases in the region.

The Gurugram Administration has issued an advisory recommending that private institutions and corporate offices encourage employees to work from home from December 22 until further orders, following the Commission for Air Quality Management’s Stage IV measures under the Graded Response Action Plan.

The Congress will launch a comprehensive campaign to revive the party in Bihar after its dismal performance in the recent Assembly election by strengthening its organisation at the grassroots level.

Police are on heightened alert in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur city, after protests by Hindu right-wingers alleging religious conversion by Christian missionaries triggered violent scuffles between the two religious groups at two separate places in two successive days.

The remark by the RSS chief comes in the wake of a call given by suspended Trinamool Congress MP Humayun Kabir to construct ‘Babri Masjid’ at Beldanga in Murshidabad district.