GLOBAL NEWS

Indian stock markets will remain closed today, December 25, as trading across domestic exchanges remains suspended on account of Christmas, marking the final market holiday of the year. According to the official holiday calendar released by the exchanges, both benchmark bourses — BSE and the National Stock Exchange — will remain closed for the entire trading day, with normal operations set to resume on Friday, December 26, 2025. Rupee trading will also be shut for the day. This closure represents the only stock market holiday in December and effectively draws the curtain on trading holidays for the calendar year. Alongside equities, activity on the commodity front will also be partially impacted. The Multi Commodity Exchange ( MCX ) will remain shut during the morning session, but trading will resume later in the day, with the evening session opening from 5 pm onwards.

At least 23 people have been killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in the coastal region of Goa, India, local officials say. The majority of victims are believed to be staff at the club in Arpora, North Goa, while tourists are also among the dead. Police believe a gas cylinder exploded in the club's kitchen, causing a blaze to rip through the venue on Saturday at midnight local time. The BBC has spoken to witnesses at the scene who described scenes of panic in the bustling nightlife area. "The fire was mainly concentrated around the kitchen area on the ground floor," said Alok Kumar, Goa's Director General of Police. "The fire occurred around midnight. It has now been brought under control." Most of the bodies were found around the kitchen "suggesting that the victims were employed at the club," Goa's chief minister Pramod Sawant told journalists three people died from burn injuries, while others died by suffocating. He said "three to fo...

The Indian Rupee has slipped to a historic low as it crossed the 90 mark against the US Dollar for the first time. This fall has created worry among investors and the general public because the currency has been weakening for several months. In the last one month the Rupee lost more than one percent. In the last three months it lost around two percent. Over the past six months the fall has reached nearly five percent which makes it one of the weakest currencies in Asia during this period. There are several reasons behind this steady decline. One major reason is the delay in a key trade agreement that the market was expecting to be completed soon. The delay has created uncertainty and reduced confidence. Another reason is the continuous drop in India’s exports. Exports fell by nine percent in the most recent month and this has reduced the flow of dollars into the country. At the same time imports have reached record levels. Silver imports in particular went up sharply during the festive...

An Indian-made fighter jet has gone down in flames at the Dubai Airshow, Killing the pilot in the second known crash of the aircraft. The HAL Tejas, a combat aircraft, crashed just after 2pm local time (10:00 GMT) on Friday during a demonstration for a crowd of spectators at Dubai World Central, where the last day of the airshow was under way. The Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed on social media that the pilot sustained “fatal injuries” and said it was launching an inquiry to determine what caused the crash. “IAF deeply regrets the loss of life and stands firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the statement added. Photos published by Indian media outlets showed the plane engulfed in flames and a wall of black smoke. A witness told Reuters news agency that the plane was flying at low altitude before appearing to rapidly descend in a ball of fire. The crash sent sirens reverberating across Al Maktoum International Airport, where the biennial aviation event was expected t...

Due to Mr. Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports, Canada's G7 hosting responsibilities this year have been characterized by tense relations with its neighbor in North America. As tensions between the United States and longstanding allies like Canada increase over defense spending, trade, and uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan in Gaza and efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized democracies are gathering in southern Ontario. As she got ready to welcome U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan on Tuesday (November 11, 2025) and Wednesday (November 12), Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand stated in an interview with The Associated Press that "the relationship has to continue across a range of issues" despite trade pressures. The foreign ministers of Australia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa...

The Trump government opened roughly 175 investigations last week into violations of H-1B visas, including poor pay, fictitious work locations, and the practice of "benching" workers. U.S. President Donald Trump seems to defend the H-1B visa program, claiming that the country lacks "certain talents" and must import expertise from around the globe. In response to a question in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News regarding whether the H-1B visa issue will not be a major priority for his administration and whether the country cannot be flooded with hundreds of thousands of foreign workers if one wants to raise wages for American workers, Mr. Trump stated, "I agree but you also do have to bring in talent." Mr. Trump responded, "No, you don't, no you don't. You don't have certain talents. And people have to learn," to Ms. Ingraham's statement that "we have plenty of talent." "You can't take people off the u...

e-Aadhaar App: The Indian government has taken a major step towards simplifying the Aadhaar card update process for the convenience of citizens. UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) is preparing to launch a new mobile application called e-Aadhaar soon. This app will allow people to update their Aadhaar card information digitally. Currently, to change Aadhaar details such as name, address, or date of birth, people have to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra and submit documents. However, with the launch of the new e-Aadhaar app, this process will be completely online. With this app, users will be able to update their personal information, such as their mobile number, email address, and date of birth, from the comfort of their homes in a few simple steps. This will save both time and money. How the e-Aadhaar App Will Work This UIDAI app will be directly connected to government databases, enabling automatic verification of documents such as passports, driving licenses, or birth certi...