Happy New Year! 🥳

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-today-briefing-10439500/ Goor morning As air quality worsens and health worries mount, air purifiers are flying off the shelves across India. Retailers have flagged rapidly depleting stocks, particularly in major cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Amid this surge, a plea in the Delhi High Court has urged that air purifiers be classified as a “medical device” and the GST be slashed from 18% to 5%, arguing they are a “necessity,” not a “luxury”. The court on Wednesday said it saw no reason why a 5% GST could not apply, and directed the Goods and Services Tax Council to meet at the earliest to decide the issue. The matter is likely to be heard today, pending the council’s response. On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition👇 * New airlines for India * Should political funding be anonymous? * Best OTT shows of 2025, and more 🚨 *Big Story* Weeks after the IndiGo crisis disrupted commercial airlines across India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) to two new airlines: Al Hind Air and FlyExpress. A total of four regional airlines are in the pipeline, with AirKerala and Shankh Air receiving NOCs last year, but have yet to start operations, pending Air Operator Certificates. Does India need more airlines? The recent disruptions have raised concerns over the duopoly in the aviation sector, as IndiGo and Air India dominate approximately 90% of the domestic market. India, being the fastest-growing aviation market in the world, may benefit from the entry of smaller, regional airlines. Challenges remain: Experts have warned that several past regional airlines have tasted failure. Examples include Paramount Airways, Air Pegasus, TruJet, and Air Odisha, among others. High price sensitivity and low profit make India a difficult market for smaller carriers. Sukalp Sharma explains in detail. https://www.inexp.in/d0kPw4 ⚡ *Only in Express* Launched in 2023, a job scheme enabled India to send workers to Israel to address labour shortages in the construction sector, offering monthly salaries of over Rs 1.5 lakh. By the end of 2024, around 5,000 workers had been sent. This figure would have likely increased as Israel also opened unskilled, non-construction roles to Indians. Now, 376 candidates have moved court against the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), alleging “discrimination”. They claim they were overlooked despite exhausting life savings, mortgaging land, and pawning jewellery to pay for travel to Israel. Ritu Sarin brings you the details. https://www.inexp.in/IY88th 📰 *From the Front Page* Worrying: Disruptions marred Christmas celebrations in several states. In Assam, a group of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad activists stormed a diocese school in the Nalbari town on Christmas Eve, and vandalised decorations there. This was the latest in a string of disruptions reported in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi in the past week. https://www.inexp.in/fiT9O2 Forecast: The GDP growth projection is likely to moderate with inflation expected to gradually move closer towards the target in the next few quarters, said Saugata Bhattacharya, one of the three external members of the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). He added that the moderation was largely "trade-related" and "seems to be transient". Read the full interview. https://www.inexp.in/Z1lrj8 📌 *Must Read* No level-playing field? Recent reports have spotlighted the stark difference in donations to the ruling and Opposition parties. What's the way forward? We asked two experts to weigh in. 👉 Subhash Chandra Garg, former finance secretary of India, argues that donors should remain anonymous. "Indian businesses and companies, whether small or big, receive benefits from the ruling party in the form of contracts and subsidies. They are naturally afraid of administrative and investigative action. Political donations to opposition parties can also invite retribution." https://www.inexp.in/5aDrdy 👉 Praveen Chakravarty, chairman of Professionals’ Congress and Data Analytics of the Congress, suggests that political funding should follow the "IPL model". "The IPL has explicit rules to ensure financial parity, and all teams have the same amount of money, so they compete only on talent and merit." https://www.inexp.in/j2evLD *Anxiety:* The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal has sparked concerns among two electorally-significant communities — the Matuas and Muslims — that their voting rights could be snatched. The Indian Express travelled along Jessore Road (NH 35) near the Bangladesh border to speak with members of both communities. While Matuas place their hope in CAA to gain citizenship, members of the Muslim community fear summons. https://www.inexp.in/Qgoym0 ⏳ *And Finally...* This year, Patal Lok 2 continued the journey of a steadfast cop, Hathiram (Jaideep Ahlawat), as the action shifted from Jamuna Paar to faraway Northeast. Black Warrant took us inside Asia’s largest prison, based on Tihar jailer Sunil Kumar Gupta’s memoir. Which OTT shows struck a chord with you? Our film critic Shubhra Gupta picks the best of 2025. https://www.inexp.in/bvciCj 🎧 Before you go, do tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode, where the hosts sat down with reporters Ritu Sarin, Soumyarendra Barik, and Jay Mazoomdaar to uncover ‘Coin Laundry’, their investigation into how cryptocurrency has become a channel for money laundering. https://www.inexp.in/HIEoUQ That’s all for today, folks! Happy weekend, Sonal Gupta

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/daily-briefing-top-news-today-10418048/ _*Good morning,*_ Playoffs, fan meet-and-greets, fashion shows, visits by Bollywood stars, Chief Ministers, and, above all, a heady football fever. India is all set to welcome football legend Lionel Messi on a three-day Greatest of All Times (GOAT) tour across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. The private tour, which will run from Saturday to Monday, will see the icon follow a packed schedule, playing exhibition matches and interacting with young footballers. Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez and Argentinian midfielder Rodrigo De Paul will accompany him on the tour, according to sources. https://www.inexp.in/NZK9DM _With that, let’s move on to the top 5 stories from today’s edition:_ 🚨 *Big Story* *Revamp:* The Centre may soon finalise a revamp of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), increasing the number of guaranteed employment days to eligible rural households from 100 now to 125. The Union Cabinet is contemplating changing the name of the law itself to Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Act, sources in the government told The Indian Express. The proposal comes on the back of an approval process initiated by the government for continuation of the scheme in the Sixteenth Finance Commission awards which will be effective April 1, 2026. https://www.inexp.in/fzQb6Q ⚡ *Only in Express* Thomas Macaulay’s much-maligned Minute on Education that pushed for English-medium, Western-style education, gained inspiration from the founding vision of India’s first ever medical college, which focused on allopathy or the Western medicine. Macaulay wrote his Minute just five days after the commencement of the medical college, as the first ever law member of the Governor-General’s Council of India. This aspect has been overlooked in the debate reignited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks about Macaulay’s impact on India and its subsequent journey. Here’s the full story. https://www.inexp.in/4jqJba *IndiGo crisis:* Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, in an interview to The Indian Express, said that though he is satisfied with the progress made in restoring normalcy after IndiGo flight disruptions left thousands stranded at airports, the government will now closely monitor the airline’s operations. Acknowledging that the civil aviation sector needs reforms, keeping passenger interest as priority, he said the challenge is to bring in more aircraft fast. Read the full interview here. https://www.inexp.in/QZs5nm 💡 *Express Explained* As Delhi’s air quality deteriorates further, a new report, ‘Different Paths to Clean Air: Global Insights for India’s Reform Agenda’, by Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC), a New Delhi-based research organisation, shares detailed pathways to improve air quality in India, by examining how other countries addressed their diverse pollution challenges. The researchers - Ishita Srivastava, Arunesh Karkun, and Bhargav Krishna - explain why pollution is a seasonal issue in India, what foreign cities with geographies similar to Delhi did to improve their air quality, and why India is more focused on tackling PM10 and not PM2.5. https://www.inexp.in/fxPg2+ ✍️ *Express Opinion* In our _Opinion_ section today, Manish Sabharwal sheds light on the hard art of entrepreneurship in India, along with the newly-proposed Jan Vishwas Siddhant and the potential as it adopts trust-based deregulation. He writes: “The Jan Vishwas Siddhant will transform ruling into governing and _praja_ into _nagrik_ . It will accelerate non-farm job creation by recognising that entrepreneurship is iterative hypothesis testing, not planning. Freeing entrepreneurs from _ijaazat_ focuses them on _koshish_ (trying).” https://www.inexp.in/iz2j+o 🎬 *Movie Review* Wondering what to binge-watch this weekend? Well, we’ve got you covered! All hell breaks loose when Kunal Kemmu’s character as a single father brings his child to a conservative Punjabi household in the web series _Single Papa_ . Shubhra Gupta, in her review, writes: “The premise is interesting, and the setting, well-to-do middle-class families in Delhi, is ripe for excavating societal hypocrisies revolving around parenthood, and while it’s at it, hoovering up issues like adoption, women’s rights, and of course, patriarchy. There’s an even weightier idea in here, which challenges the notion that women make better parents, rather than men, as well as that other one, ‘apna khoon toh apna hota hai’.” https://www.inexp.in/6b+4g7 *That’s all for today. Have a lovely weekend!* _*Until next time,*_ _*Ariba*_

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-today-briefing-10447758/ Good morning, Well, this is it, folks. It’s the last day of 2025. It’s a time for quiet reflection on the year that has passed, as well as anticipation of what 2026 has in store. If you’re planning a quiet night in or inviting friends home, be advised that quick commerce and food delivery services may be disrupted today. Gig workers across various platforms have called a strike over pay transparency, the blocking of worker IDs, the growing use of 10-minute deliveries, and a ban on the model. The strikes have been called by gig workers’ unions in Karnataka and Telangana, with support from the Delhi association. https://www.inexp.in/QAhyP- On that note, let’s get to today’s edition👇 * An investigation into BMC funds * Walking back to Pahalgam * Khaleda Zia's legacy; and more 🔎 *Express Investigation* January 15 will see the first big elections of 2026, with Asia's richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), up for grabs. The BJP is riding high on its success in local body polls in the rest of Maharashtra. Our investigation today has found another advantage for the ruling-party legislators. Over the past three years, more than 99 per cent of funds allotted by the BMC for development work went to wards in constituencies represented by Mahayuti lawmakers, an analysis of records obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act showed. Rs 1,476.92 crore of the overall Rs 1,490 crore funds sanctioned by the BMC for works such as road repairs, beautification and drainage upgrades, went to the ruling alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP. Only Rs 13.74 crores went to the Opposition. 👉 The findings raise questions of fair governance as infrastructural development offers ruling-party candidates more visibility. Read Vallabh Ozarkar's investigation. https://www.inexp.in/ot9LMM 👉 We also spoke to nine MLAs, MLCs and MPs of the Opposition camp in Mumbai, who flagged stalled proposals despite reminders and appeals. Here's what they had to say. https://www.inexp.in/rgRfUr ⚡ *Only in Express* 2025 witnessed one of the deadliest terror attacks on civilians, when 26 tourists were killed at Baisaran in Pahalgam. Once bustling with visitors navigating the bumpy, boulder-strewn trail and stopping for selfies, the road to Baisaran now lies deserted—closed pending a security review. The Indian Express trekked up to the meadow to speak with locals about how the attack changed everything. As the New Year dawns, hope still flickers. Naveed Iqbal reports. https://www.inexp.in/BypX2U 📰 *From the Front Page* | Delay: The publication of draft rolls under the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Uttar Pradesh has been postponed once again to January 6. Provisional data accessed by The Indian Express shows that UP could have the highest deletions of 18.70% of the electorate from the rolls. https://www.inexp.in/hjYzvZ Blueprint: India doesn’t need just medal-winners but a sporting ecosystem that supports that talent. As India bids for the 2036 Olympics' hosting rights, an Abhinav Bindra-led task force has flagged critical gaps in the current sporting administration. A 170-page report highlights ad-hoc decision-making, weak institutional continuity, and an absence of long-term professionalism within the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and state sports departments. Here are its recommendations. https://www.inexp.in/chV8UP 📌 *Must Read* Rest in peace: Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first woman prime minister, passed away on Tuesday, leaving behind a nation that stands on the precipice of political transformation. National elections are set for February 15 after a year of unrest, and for the first time, rival begums — Khaleda and ousted PM Sheikh Hasina — will not contest. Their shadows, however, will loom large. Shubhajit Roy writes about Khaleda's legacy. https://www.inexp.in/UOBG2R External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Dhaka to attend her funeral. https://www.inexp.in/mnc7KZ ⏳ *And Finally...* 2025 was a relatively quiet year for sports. Yet, it delivered some spectacular moments. The year undoubtedly belonged to the women, as Harmanpreet Kaur and co clinched their first-ever World Cup title. A cohort of young woman athletes also emerged across events — from wrestling and boxing to archery and badminton. What's in store for 2026? Mihir Vasavda explains. https://www.inexp.in/6tF29J 🎧I leave you with the latest episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, where we look back on the five figures who shaped Indian politics in 2025. https://www.inexp.in/frdwVV That’s all for today! See you in 2026! Sonal Gupta

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/daily-briefing-top-news-today-10405350/ *Good morning,* *162 days after pushback:* 25-year-old Sunali Khatun, a pregnant woman who along with two of her family members and others was pushed into Bangladesh in June this year on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant, returned to India on Friday with her eight-year-old son following the Supreme Court’s intervention. However, her husband, Sweety Bibi and her two children, who were also pushed across the India-Bangladesh border, still remain in the neighbouring country, with the Centre contesting their Indian citizenship. Birbhum-based social worker, Mofizul Islam, said, “After months of legal battle, we have been able to secure the return of Sunali and her son. Sunali’s husband and a woman and her two children are still there. We will not rest till we get them back.” https://www.inexp.in/W6-YXU _With that, let’s move on to the top 5 stories from today’s edition:_ 🚨 *Big Story* *Deepening ties:* Wrapping up Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to India since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, Delhi and Moscow on Friday inked 16 pacts, ranging from health to maritime cooperation, fertilizer to customs, academic to media collaboration. Deepening their ties, the two sides signed a labour mobility pact, agreed on a programme for developing strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030, announced a 30-day free tourist visa for Russian nationals and pledged to work towards early conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union. https://www.inexp.in/BEZPLH As Putin’s two-day visit to India comes to an end, our columnist Shyam Saran sheds light on what the meeting means for India, Russia, and the rest of the world. Explaining the impact of the partnership on China’s interests,, Saran writes: “But it may also welcome a closer India-Russia relationship at a time when Indo-US ties are under strain, because it would have to worry less about American containment if India distances itself from the US. But Delhi should be clear that there are limits to the India-Russia partnership, which cannot compare to the declared “no-limits partnership” between Russia and China.” https://www.inexp.in/9DvKi7 ⚡ *Only in Express* Bhajan sessions, UPI and banking transactions, and video calls with grandchildren — older adults, long assumed to be on the margins of digital life, are becoming some of its most active participants. With many elders now living alone as younger relatives move to cities for work, the smartphone has arrived as a companion, entertainer and conduit for connection for them. My colleagues Aishwarya Khosla and Rinku Ghosh delve into a demographic that’s increasingly wired into the digital space. Here’s the big picture. https://www.inexp.in/jk5nd9 💡 *Express Explained* The Delhi High Court has allowed Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) to continue manufacturing and exporting its version of the Ozempic drug containing semaglutide active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), as it refused to grant an interim injunction sought by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. API is the chemical in a medicine that produces the intended therapeutic effect. Semaglutide is the API for a new class of revolutionary drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity; it is marketed by Novo Nordisk as Ozempic for diabetes, and as Wegovy for weight loss. We explain the case here. https://www.inexp.in/OCD65M ✍️ *Express Opinion* *‘An important break from the past’:* Our columnist Shamika Ravi highlights the manifold ways in which the new Labour Codes reform India’s labour landscape and unlock its potential. Ravi writes: “India’s labour market has long been shaped by protective laws that turned into a stranglehold, pulling back its economic potential. The new labour codes represent a comprehensive attempt to correct that historical imbalance. By simplifying regulation, expanding protections, embracing new forms of work, and giving firms the flexibility to grow, these reforms create the conditions for a more dynamic labour market.” https://www.inexp.in/twy6b9 🎬 *Movie Review* Wondering what to watch this weekend? Well, we’ve got you covered! Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar has hit your nearby screens, bringing you a spy thriller which is more of an “amalgamation of all the “wrongs” done by Pakistan on India, from the Kandahar hijacking to the Parliament attack to the 26/11 Mumbai attack,” Shalini Langer writes in her review. “Dhurandhar I is all about which of the three current and ageing hunks – Ranveer Singh as Hamza, Rampal as the ISI’s Major Iqbal, and Sanjay Dutt as Karachi police encounter specialist Choudhary Aslam – can land and stand how much blood and gore.” https://www.inexp.in/Tx3NOJ *That’s all for today. Have a lovely weekend!* _*Until next time,*_ _*Ariba*_

*Fresh Take* | With gory scenes interwoven with crowd-pleasing elements such as Akshay Khanna’s viral Balochi 'chaap' dance and heroic entry scenes, Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar wants you to be angry, but also entertained. The film has both the content and the format for successful rage-baiting. Sonal Gupta writes: https://indianexpress.com/article/fresh-take/dhurandhar-movie-rage-bait-10421424/

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-today-briefing-10432558/ Good morning, The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party received a staggering Rs 6,088 crore as donations in 2024-25, the year of the Lok Sabha elections. This was also the first full year since the Supreme Court scrapped the electoral bonds (EB) scheme, which allowed individuals and corporations to fund political parties anonymously. Zoom in: To put the BJP's corpus in perspective, it is 12 times bigger than Congress's (Rs 522.12 crore) and 4.5 times the total contributions to a dozen Opposition parties. Sixty-one per cent of the funds (Rs 3,744) came from electoral trusts. Individuals and firms, such as Serum Institute of India (Rs 100 crore), Rungta Sons Private Limited (Rs 95 crore) and Vedanta Limited (Rs 67 crore), contributed the rest. Read more. https://www.inexp.in/mjAXgu In contrast, donations to the Congress party halved in 2024-25. Electoral trusts comprised 60 per cent of overall donations, while other big donors included: ITC Infotech India Limited (Rs 11.50 crore), Hindustan Zinc Limited (Rs 10 crore), and Sandur Manganese & Iron Ore Ltd (Rs 9.75 crore). Among individuals, senior party leader P Chidambaram donated Rs 3 crore. https://www.inexp.in/QDphkg Fine print: Electoral trusts became a preferred source of political donation for companies in 2024-25 after the electoral bonds scheme was junked. It allows individuals and companies to donate to a trust, which then disburses the funds to the party. The process here is transparent, unlike in EBs. Prudent Electoral Trust emerged as the largest source of funds for parties. Data shows that Elevated Avenue Realty, a real estate entity linked to the L&T Group, was the single largest contributor to the trust. https://www.inexp.in/hvAD24 Meanwhile, the Tata Group was the largest political donor, sending funds to the Progressive Electoral Trust, which further distributed this to the BJP (Rs 758 crore), Congress (Rs 77 crore) and other parties. Other big donors include Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL), PV Krishna Reddy, OP Jindal group of companies and more. https://www.inexp.in/D+raW6 🎧 For more on political funding, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. https://www.inexp.in/KiTcsY On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition. ⚡ *Only in Express* Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP's state president in Kerala, handed the party its first-ever local body election win in Thiruvananthapuram — a crucial victory ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. He is also the BJP's voice in entrepreneurship and critical areas such as AI and semiconductors. Chandrasekhar talks about the challenges of being a BJP politician in Kerala, why the state fails to attract chip-making investments, and how political discourse in the state is changing in the latest Idea Exchange session. https://www.inexp.in/PUPkqo 📰 *From the Front Page* Halt: Indian visa operations have been suspended in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second-largest city, after a security incident at the Assistant High Commission of India (AHCI). This comes in the wake of the unrest across the country after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, the student leader behind the July uprising that saw the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. https://www.inexp.in/+xtDv1 Sweep: The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the elections to 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra. The party won 117 local bodies, far ahead of its Mahayuti allies Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena (53) and Ajit Pawar's NCP (47). Together, the ruling alliance swept 207 local bodies, with the Opposition restricted to just 44 seats. The victory will likely spur the BJP’s momentum ahead of the high-stakes BMC elections on January 15. https://www.inexp.in/N6G6z0 SOS: Sahil Mohamed Hussein Majothi, a 23-year-old from Gujarat's Morbi, went to Russia in January 2024 to study Russian language and culture, when he was allegedly trapped in a criminal case and sentenced to jail. He was then made to fight for the Russian side on the battlefield, where he was captured by Ukrainian authorities. Now in captivity, Majothi has appealed for help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure his release. https://www.inexp.in/oC9Q-H 📌 *Must Read* Scammed: A 78-year-old businessman received a WhatsApp message in July 2024, asking him to join a share-trading group. Hesitant at first, but with a desire for "good returns,” the businessman gave in. Soon, he was investing in a company's IPO through an app. The dashboard showed him making 30% profits. But when he tried to book them, he was shown different errors. Eventually, he was locked out of the app, and the number that had texted him on WhatsApp was unreachable. He had been scammed. His money, Rs 18.80 crore, was gone. All of it. This is the second-largest fraud to have been reported in Delhi. Read all about it. https://www.inexp.in/Xgg4aV Drugs and data: When a company develops a new drug in India, it must submit clinical trial data on its safety and efficacy to the regulator. The regulator may use this data to approve another company's generic drug on the basis of bioequivalence studies, which are less resource-intensive than clinical trials and can prove that the generic version works just as well as the innovator. However, the government is now considering bringing a clause that will grant innovator firms exclusive rights over clinical trial data. We explain how this could change the pharma industry. https://www.inexp.in/59S1Qg ⏳ *And Finally...* Train tickets are set to get costlier from December 26! Six months after its last hike, the Ministry of Railways has announced that it will increase the fare for air-conditioned, sleeper, second and general classes. For instance, AC and sleeper classes will have to pay two paisa more per km. This means that if a passenger travels from New Delhi to Prayagraj (650 km), the price of AC and sleeper-class tickets will increase by Rs 13. The Railways are expected to earn Rs 600 crore more from the fare revision. https://www.inexp.in/xSYt4R That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-today-briefing-10416296/ Good morning, The Kolhapuri chappal just went global! Italian luxury giant Prada is teaming up with Indian artisans on a limited-edition sandal line that blends centuries-old craftsmanship with the brand’s modern design sensibilities. Each pair will reportedly cost $930 (woof!). Prada has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with government-backed leather bodies LIDCOM and LIDKAR. This comes after the brand faced cultural-appropriation backlash in June for releasing Kolhapuri lookalikes without crediting their origins, sparking debates about fairness and intellectual property rights. https://www.inexp.in/Gzezx6 On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition👇 * SIR for sadhus and sanyasis * A smoking scandal * Our frictionless existence, and more 🚨 *Big Story* The two-day trade talks between India and the US that culminated on Thursday were capped by a phone call between the leaders of the two countries. In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he had spoken to US President Donald Trump to review the "progress in bilateral relations". Way ahead: This was the third Modi-Trump call since the latter had imposed steep 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent penalty over India's purchase of Russian oil. Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran on Thursday underlined the impact of the tariffs on investor sentiment. Putting a deadline of sorts on the negotiations, Nageswaran said, "I will be surprised if the India-US deal is not sealed by the end of the financial year. I was hoping that something would be done by the end of November." Responding to the CEA, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that negotiations are "progressing well". https://www.inexp.in/s8+9SC Enter the dragon: Meanwhile, the Trump tariffs seem to have had little effect on China. Beijing recorded a $1 trillion trade surplus with the rest of the world in 2025, boosted by its increased exports to South and Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, despite reduced trading with the US. Analysts suggest that this could be the beginning of the "second China shock". What does this mean for the world and India? We explain. https://www.inexp.in/m6cStE 👉 Lizzi C. Lee, a Fellow at the Center for China Analysis, explains the factors behind the trade surplus and what’s next for China’s economic policies. https://www.inexp.in/+6bXg8 Also read: Beyond global tensions, Trump's trade policies have eroded his popularity at home amid the high cost of living and inflation. National Business Editor Anil Sasi writes why the Trump magic is past its heyday. https://www.inexp.in/YqVQdH ⚡ *Only in Express* As chess grows in popularity, it has been hit by a parallel rise of cheating scandals. The latest one involves the three-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh's Sagar who recently became the youngest rated chess player ever. The boy, who made headlines in the last few months, defeated three better-ranked chess players in tournaments hosted in Indore. However, a complaint filed with FIDE, the international chess body, has raised doubts over his achievement. Alleging a violation of fair-play principles, the complaint says that all three players were coaches in the same academy where the boy trains. The Indian Express spoke to the boy's father and coach, who refuted the allegations. Read. https://www.inexp.in/0VjQrH 📰 *From the Front Page* Caught: Shortly after the Fire Department received information about the blaze at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa on December 6, the owners, Saurabh and Guarav Luthra, booked tickets to Thailand and were on board a flight to Phuket by 5.30 am. The fire killed 25 people. The Royal Thai Police has detained the duo on a request from Indian law enforcement agencies, and the process to bring them to India has been initiated. https://www.inexp.in/tcrsl1 🎧 For more on the case, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode. https://www.inexp.in/1jJYQ3 Uncounted: The Election Commission has issued a second extension to conclude the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in six states/Union Territories. Here are the details. https://www.inexp.in/JNctP0 The extension came as a relief in Uttar Pradesh, where officials have run into a peculiar challenge: tracking down sadhus and sanyasis in temple towns like Varanasi and Ayodhya to get them to fill out enumeration forms. For a cohort that has renounced worldly ties, even basic questions, like the names of mother or father, often draw a blank. And those who lead a wandering life remain hard to pin down. Lalmani Verma reports. https://www.inexp.in/hg+59F 📌 *Must Read* Oh deer! In June, the Congress was miffed about the proposed agreement between the Delhi Zoo and Ambani family-owned rehabilitation centre, Vantara. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had slammed the "hush hush manner" of the deal, which he said was the first step towards the zoo’s privatisation. Just six months later, the party has said little about its own government in Telangana signing an MoU with Vantara to set up a wildlife conservatory near Hyderabad. https://www.inexp.in/ul9x-t Smoke and signals: Unusual scenes played out in Parliament as BJP MP Anurag Thakur got up to ask the Speaker if smoking e-cigarettes was allowed in the House when it was banned in the rest of the country. Thakur was targeting a TMC MP. While he did not name the MP when speaking to The Indian Express, he said, "This is going to be a big issue in the coming days." The row signals the beginning of an acrimonious battle between the BJP and TMC in the run-up to the state Assembly elections. https://www.inexp.in/+8gvd6 ⏳ *And Finally...* Cost of convenience: Apps, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) come together to offer us a seamless existence. There’s limitless content to be consumed, faster deliveries, and one-click solutions. But this life of convenience has stirred up a sense of discomfort. We have been trained out of patience. In this frictionless world, can boredom save us? Join us in our musings in the latest Fresh Take. https://www.inexp.in/DOozor That’s all for today, folks! Happy weekend! Sonal Gupta

*Fresh Take* | Have you been watching content at 2x speed? Is it to save time? Or a fear of missing out? You are not alone. The digital ecosystem is built to make us feel like we are falling behind. There’s endless content and endless chatter about that content. The speed-watching culture, then, is a survival tactic. Aashika Lakhpati writes: https://indianexpress.com/article/fresh-take/attention-economy-2x-speed-watching-10410816/

☕ *Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 *Get this delivered straight to your inbox:* https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ *Read this newsletter in a single page:* https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-today-briefing-10408379/ Good morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to open the 10-hour discussion on ‘Vande Mataram’ in Parliament today, marking the song’s 150th anniversary. The ruling party has said that the House discussions will “expose” former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, whom they accused of “omitting” stanzas from the song. The Congress party, in turn, has accused the BJP of “insulting” the stalwarts who were present at the 1937 Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting where the resolution was adopted. The CWC’s resolution stated that only the first two paragraphs of Vande Mataram should be sung in gatherings, as they were an “inseparable part of our national movement”, but the rest could be left out as “they are little known” and “contain certain allusions and a religious ideology”. The history aside, amid these attacks and counters, will Parliament witness fireworks once again? https://www.inexp.in/yIWNWN Also read: Why did Nehru not want Vande Mataram as the national anthem? https://www.inexp.in/Jly26R On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition👇 * Behind Goa nightclub blaze * IndiGo officials under scrutiny * Rising male infertility; and more 🚨 *Big Story* A deadly blaze at a nightclub in Goa claimed at least 25 lives late Saturday night. Most of the victims were the restaurant staff — migrant workers, making modest earnings. The incident has raised serious questions about the safety standards of such clubs and business establishments operating in the state. https://www.inexp.in/Y0X1++ As it happened: According to eyewitnesses at Birch by Romeo Lane, shortly before the fire broke out, the club management had used fireworks during a belly-dance performance. The Fire Department's technical evaluation attributes the incident to possible "short-circuiting" in electrical systems located above the main stage. The report points to a lack of fire safety infrastructure in the club, as well as combustible interiors, which worsened the blaze. Most of the fatalities were due to toxic smoke inhalation as some of the guests rushed to the basement, where staff were already present, and found themselves trapped in thick smoke amid inadequate ventilation and the absence of exit routes. https://www.inexp.in/J32Q0p Red flags: The FIR filed in the case notes that the club was operating without permissions/licenses from competent authorities. The club has been under scrutiny for a few years now. In 2023, the Arpora-Nagoa village panchayat received a complaint that the club was built on an unstable structure in a salt pan. In 2024, the panchayat deemed the construction illegal and issued a demolition notice, which was eventually stayed. The Chief Minister has initiated an inquiry into how the club was allowed to operate without the required licenses and who issued the stay order. Four of the club’s managers have been arrested. The FIR also names the owners, partners and the event organiser. https://www.inexp.in/0X7tdp ⚡ *Only in Express* Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju has a tough task to handle amid frequent House disruptions and reduced productivity. In an Idea Exchange with The Indian Express, Rijiju said that the last two sessions were productive despite disturbances, as many Bills were passed. “It all depends on how the Opposition behaves… once the trust is broken…” Read the full transcript. https://www.inexp.in/+7bWKJ 📰 *From the Front Page* The aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Saturday issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and chief operating officer Isidre Porqueras over the widespread flight disruptions over the last few days. The responses are expected today, after the DGCA gave the duo a one-time 24-hour extension on Sunday. The notices state that "large-scale operational failures" at IndiGo indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight and non-compliance with rules, according to sources. https://www.inexp.in/PVqnUS Nosedive: Aviation sector experts have also raised questions over the airline's high-profile board — and whether it did enough to ensure the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation rules, which specified crew rest and duty hours. Notably, IndiGo's annual reports for the last two years make no mention of the new rules. https://www.inexp.in/oAgzy3 What next? Per sources, IndiGo will likely face stringent action given the scale of the disruptions, which threw commercial flight operations out of gear all over the country and left thousands of passengers stranded. The action will be taken based on the DGCA's four-member inquiry committee's report, expected in two weeks. Additionally, the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture is likely to summon the airline's top officials over the issue. https://www.inexp.in/8X0VZK 📌 *Must Read* Spider and the web: Twenty days ago, the Gujarat Police made a big arrest, nabbing 'The Ghost' — a moniker for 29-year-old Nilesh Purohit alias Neel at the centre of transnational cybercrime operations. Neel faces five FIRs for running a human trafficking operation that trapped at least 500 victims in "cyber slavery" in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Here’s what we know about The Ghost and a cybercrime network spanning three states and involving agents from China and Pakistan. https://www.inexp.in/BfRqlU ⏳ *And Finally...* Scores of young couples are flocking to OPDs for fertility tests — some facing pressure from families for babies, and others testing their prospective partners. Many find that, despite traditional notions that infertility is a woman's problem, it is as much a man's problem. Experts suggest that 40 per cent of infertility cases in India are due to male factors. Of late, the trend has been growing. What's behind the rising male infertility? Read. https://www.inexp.in/zm3qv- That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta