Stay updated with the biggest headlines for Saturday, 20 December—politics, crime, sports, and more—all summarized for quick reading. Get instant access to breaking news, major developments, and trending stories in just one click. Perfect for busy readers who want news on the go.
Top news of the day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a visit to West Bengal on Saturday, where he will inaugurate several development projects and address a public meeting. This visit comes at a time when the political temperature in Bengal is high over the issue of the intensive scrutiny of the electoral roll.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Nadia district of West Bengal on Saturday. This will be the Prime Minister's first visit to the state since the draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published, and his third visit in the last five months. Political analysts believe that the Prime Minister will try to address the growing anxiety among the Matua community regarding the NRC through this rally. He may also sound the poll bugle for the assembly elections scheduled for early next year. In a social media post on Friday evening, PM Modi wrote, "The people of West Bengal are benefiting from several pro-people initiatives of the central government. At the same time, they are suffering due to the misgovernance of the TMC in every sector."
The funeral of student leader Osman Hadi will be held this afternoon in Bangladesh amidst escalating violence across the country following his death. Hadi was shot last week by masked gunmen on motorcycles. He was sent to Singapore for treatment after his condition became critical, but he died on Thursday. The incident has fueled tension and protests in Bangladesh.
According to media reports, Osman Hadi's body may be buried near the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, next to the Central Mosque of Dhaka University. This decision was made by the family and the Inqilab Mancha leadership. The body has been transported from the airport to the morgue, after which activists will hold a demonstration in Shahbag.
Voting began on Saturday morning in 23 municipalities and municipal councils of Maharashtra. Voters are casting their ballots for the posts of president and members in these bodies, as well as for 143 vacant member positions. Voting started at 7:30 am and will continue until 5:30 pm. According to the State Election Commission, the counting of votes for all municipalities and municipal councils will take place on December 21 at 10 am. In the first phase, voting was held in a total of 263 municipalities and municipal councils. In many places, presidents and members were elected unopposed.
Renowned Malayalam actor, director, screenwriter, and producer Sreenivasan passed away on Saturday. He was 69 years old. He had been undergoing treatment for a prolonged illness at his home in Udayamperoor. Following a sudden deterioration in his health, he was admitted to a hospital in Thrippunithura, where his death was confirmed in the morning.
Sreenivasan was born on April 6, 1956, in Patyam, near Thalassery, Kerala. His father was a school teacher and his mother a homemaker. He completed his schooling in Kadirur and earned a degree in Economics from PRNSS College, Mattannur. He then received formal film training from the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu in Chennai.
Ranveer Singh's film Dhurandhar is playing a phenomenal innings since its release. The film opened with ₹28 crore and is still running at bullet train speed. Aditya Dhar's spy thriller features Ranveer Singh along with Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal in lead roles.
Dhurandhar is the talk of the town worldwide
Since its release, the film has generated tremendous buzz in India and around the world. With its powerful action, thrilling espionage sequences, and brilliant performances, Dhurandhar has successfully drawn audiences to theaters. Both fans and critics have praised the film extensively, making it one of the most talked-about films of 2025.
A tragic train accident occurred in Assam late Friday night. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express collided with a herd of elephants in the Sanroja area of Jamunamukh in the Hojai district of the state. The accident happened around 2:17 AM when the herd of elephants was crossing the railway tracks. The collision was so severe that the train's engine and five coaches derailed.
Forest department officials confirmed that eight elephants died on the spot in the accident, while one calf was found injured and has been safely rescued. It is suspected that some other elephants may also have been injured. Panic ensued in the area after the incident, and forest department and railway teams rushed to the scene.
An orange alert for dense fog was issued for Delhi on Saturday morning. A yellow alert for fog is in effect for December 21st and 22nd. No relief from the fog is expected for the next four days. The high humidity levels in the morning and at night are contributing to the fog.
Dense fog blanketed the city in the morning, disrupting daily life. Visibility was significantly reduced. At Delhi Airport, visibility remained at 50 meters from 2 AM to 7 AM. The high humidity levels in the morning and at night are causing the fog. No relief from the fog is expected for the next four days.
Thursday was recorded as the coldest day of the season in Delhi, with dense fog and delayed sunshine leading to chilly conditions throughout the day. The maximum temperature was 20.1 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was 9 degrees Celsius. However, there was some relief from the cold on Friday. The maximum temperature was recorded at 22.2 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature was 9.0 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees above normal.
The Indian team for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will be announced today, Saturday, December 20th. A crucial selection committee meeting will be held at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, chaired by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar. The team will be announced at a press conference at 1:30 PM after the meeting.
All five selectors will be present at the meeting, and current captain Suryakumar Yadav is also expected to attend the press conference. However, discussions about the captaincy have intensified even before the team selection. This is due to Suryakumar Yadav's consistently poor form, which has raised concerns among the selectors.
The continuous surge in gold prices has finally come to a halt. On Saturday morning, December 20, gold prices registered a decline in the domestic market. In the capital city of Delhi, the price of 24-karat gold fell to ₹1,34,320 per 10 grams, while 22-karat gold was trading at ₹1,23,140 per 10 grams.
In other major cities of the country, the price of 24-karat gold was recorded at ₹1,34,170 per 10 grams in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. The price of 22-karat gold remained at ₹1,22,990 per 10 grams in these cities. This is considered a slight relief for investors and customers compared to the previous days.
According to US defense officials, the military operation targeted approximately 70 ISIS sites in various parts of Syria. These targets included terrorist hideouts, weapons depots, command centers, and operational bases. The US military claims that these attacks dealt a significant blow to ISIS operations.
In this operation, the US utilized its most advanced military capabilities. F-15 Eagle fighter jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopters, and F-16 aircraft flying from Jordan were deployed. Attacks were also carried out using the HIMARS rocket artillery system, enabling simultaneous ground and air strikes.
New Delhi: Get all the day’s essential news—politics, crime, sports, and more—in a quick, easy-to-read format. Stay informed with breaking updates and top stories in just one click. Perfect for busy readers who want fast, reliable news summaries anytime, anywhere.
