Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub in Goa, where 25 people died in a fire, have moved Delhi’s Rohini Court for anticipatory bail. The brothers fled to Phuket hours after the incident. Goa Police have coordinated with CBI and Interpol and issued a Blue Corner Notice. Ajay Gupta, another owner, was brought to the Sunlight Colony Crime Branch for questioning and is expected in court. Investigations continue as authorities examine the cause of the fire. The district administration has demolished part of the nightclub as the probe progresses. (PC: HT)

Amazon announced it will invest $35 billion in India by 2030 to expand its digital, logistics, and AI businesses. The investment aims to create 1 million direct and indirect jobs across technology, operations, logistics, and customer support. Amazon has already invested nearly $40 billion in India over 15 years, digitising 12 million small businesses and enabling $20 billion in e-commerce exports. The company plans to make AI tools accessible to 15 million small businesses, support 4 million students with AI education, and quadruple exports to $80 billion. This move strengthens India as a key growth market. (PC: India Today)

Rishabh Rajput and Sonali Chouksey, a couple from Madhya Pradesh, married last month after 11 years together. Their wedding photos and videos went viral, but trolls targeted the groom’s dark skin and accused the bride of marrying for money. The couple, both working in private jobs, spoke out against the criticism. “People’s negative opinions mean nothing to me,” said Mr Rajput. Ms Chouksey added that judging someone by skin colour is wrong. They stressed their happiness and strong relationship. The couple hopes their story will challenge colourism in India and remind people not to judge by appearances. (PC: BBC)

IndiGo’s large-scale flight cancellations have put sharp focus on Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, the youngest minister in the Modi government. Naidu met IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers in Delhi to review steps taken to stabilise operations. The three-time Srikakulam MP, seen as a close aide to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, entered politics after his father’s death and has built a reputation for calm leadership and strong policy work. He has also been praised for supporting women’s rights. In Parliament, he said the crisis was caused by IndiGo’s “crew rostering and internal planning” failures, not regulatory changes. (PC: X)

US President Donald Trump said birthright citizenship was created for the babies of slaves, not for “rich” foreigners seeking US citizenship for their families. He spoke to Politico after the US Supreme Court agreed to review his order that ends citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants and short-term visitors. Trump said it would be “devastating” if his administration loses the case. He argued that the rule was written after the Civil War and was never meant for people “dropping into the country” to gain citizenship. The Supreme Court is expected to give its ruling next summer. (PC: NDTV)

IndiGo’s flight crisis has now entered its ninth day, with more than 4,600 flights cancelled since December 2. The government has ordered the airline to cut its operations by 10% after saying internal mismanagement caused major trouble for passengers. Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad saw long lines as travellers waited for updates. Despite IndiGo’s claim that services are improving, cancellations continue. Political leaders have also attacked the government over the crisis. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said India needs more airlines to avoid a monopoly and ensure fair access to airports and better fares. (PC: X)

Ajay Gupta, one of the co-owners of the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa, said he was only a “sleeping partner” and did not know about any lapses before the fire that killed 25 people. Gupta was detained in Delhi after being on the run for two days. As he was taken for a medical check-up, he said, “I was a mere sleeping partner and had no role. I was unaware of the lapses.” Police say the club had no licences and held a fire show without safety equipment. The main owners, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, fled to Thailand. Police will also look into Gupta’s financial links with them. (PC: India Today)

UK defence experts warn that Britain may only be able to fight for a few weeks if a major war with Russia began. Military leaders say the Army lacks ammunition, strong air defence and enough spare parts. They also warn that troop numbers are too low and the UK cannot easily replace losses in a long war. Russia, however, has large manpower and fast-growing weapons production. Nato fears new risks in Europe if Moscow gains ground in Ukraine. Analysts say the UK must invest more and prepare for real threats that could grow in the coming years. (PC: BBC)

The US Embassy in India issued an urgent advisory warning H-1B visa applicants after numerous appointments were rescheduled due to new social media vetting policies. Arriving on original appointment dates will result in entry denial. This follows the Trump administration's December 3 announcement of enhanced vetting for H-1B applicants, requiring consular officers to review LinkedIn profiles and resumes for work involving "censorship," content moderation, fact-checking, or online safety. The US has revoked 85,000 visas since January, including 8,000 student visas, citing DUI, theft, assault, and politically sensitive activities. The policy particularly targets tech sector workers from India and China, focusing on alleged suppression of conservative voices and free speech concerns.

An Indian couple's wedding video went viral for the wrong reasons as trolls attacked them over skin color differences. Rishabh Rajput and Sonali Chouksey, who met in college 11 years ago and married in November, faced intense online shaming. Rajput was mocked for his darker complexion while Chouksey was called a "gold-digger" marrying for money or government job benefits. The couple hit back, with Rajput clarifying he's not a government employee and Chouksey fell in love when he had nothing. They addressed India's colorism problem, noting 70-80% of Indians have darker skin tones yet fair skin remains idealized. The couple questioned why strangers judge their 11-year relationship based on a 30-second video.(PC: BBC)