Amid IndiGo chaos, Air India makes BIG announcement, introduces special one-time waiver on… passengers flying between Dec 4-15 can….
Air India and Air India Express have introduced a special waiver of change or cancellation fees on eligible domestic bookings. This one-time waiver applies to changes or cancellations made by December 8. Fare difference, if any, in case of rescheduling will apply.
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Delhi chokes on toxic smog as AQI crosses 300; IMD confirms major weather shift ahead
Earlier this week, the air quality saw a brief respite from the toxic air in the city, as the overall AQI recorded was 299 on Thursday (8 AM). However, today, it has again worsened with residents feeling the hazy air and dense layer of smog.
IndiGo Crisis: Govt sets deadline for refund clearance, passengers to receive full refund by…
IndiGo’s operations throughout India faced significant disruptions on December 6. Over 400 flights were canceled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. Following these disruptions, the Ministry has instructed IndiGo to process all refunds.
Goa Arpora Nightclub Fire: 23 dead after massive cylinder blast, know what led to tragedy
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also expressed deep grief over the Arpora fire that killed 23 people, describing it as a “very painful day” for the state, and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Goa Arpora Nightclub Fire: Horrific video emerges showing cylinder blast causing massive fire; death toll rises to 25
A horrifying video of a massive fire that boke out out at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora, North Goa has emerged online. The death toll has risen to 25, with 4 of them identified as tourists, and 14 others as staff members, Goa Police said on Sunday. The identity of the seven bodies recovered is yet to be established, officials further said.
Judge rules evidence linked to James Comey’s ally is off limits to DOJ
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that certain evidence linked to an ally of former FBI Director James Comey is off limits to the Justice Department in its efforts to prosecute the ex-director. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said the DOJ may not use information pertaining to Daniel Richman. “Upon consideration of Petitioner Daniel Richman’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, the relevant legal authority, and the entire present record, the Court concludes that Petitioner Richman is entitled to a narrow temporary restraining order to preserve the status quo while the Court evaluates his Motion for Return of Property and awaits full briefing and argument from the parties,” the ruling reads. The facts “weigh in favor of entering a prompt, temporary order to preserve the status quo now, before the Government has filed a response,” it added.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump-led Kennedy Center nearly doubles fundraising from Biden era, smashing record with $23M haul
EXCLUSIVE: The Kennedy Center Honors has raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year under President Biden, as President Donald Trump begins his tenure as chairman of the Kennedy Center, Fox News Digital has learned. According to the Kennedy Center, the $23 million total marks the largest fundraising haul in the 48-year history of the Honors, which was launched in 1978 as the institution’s highest recognition of lifetime artistic achievement. While Kennedy Center Honorees have visited the Oval Office privately in past years, Trump on Saturday hosted the first official, on-camera ceremony recognizing the recipients inside the Oval Office, introducing each honoree ahead of Sunday night’s gala. Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell told Fox News Digital that the center “nearly doubled last year’s fundraising, reaching a historic $23 million dollars,” calling the Honors “one of our nation’s highest celebrations of the performing arts.” Trump’s expanded role as chairman and his direct involvement in the weekend’s events, officials say, have contributed to what they describe as “intense interest and momentum” around the program. TRUMP TOUTS 2026 WORLD CUP DRAW SUCCESS, CLAIMS MASSIVE VIEWERSHIP Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital the new benchmark reflects unprecedented donor enthusiasm. “The record-breaking $23 million in contributions to the Kennedy Center Honors is a testament to the extraordinary support for our mission and affirms a vibrant future for this beloved American institution,” she said. During Saturday evening’s Oval Office ceremony, a first in Honors history, Trump personally introduced each of the 2025 honorees. “Great honor,” he began. “And I’m delighted to welcome to the Oval Office… our truly exceptional 2025 Kennedy Center honorees.” He went on to call the group “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.” This year’s recipients include George Strait, members of the rock band KISS — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley (posthumous) — Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone. Trump singled out each in turn, praising Strait as a “country music legend,” Crawford as a “great star of Broadway,” Gaynor as “the disco queen,” Stallone as “one of the true great movie stars,” and KISS as “the incredible rock band.” KENNEDY CENTER BOARD MEMBER SAYS FAMILIES ARE ‘WELCOME’ AGAIN AS GALA BREAKS FUNDRAISING RECORDS Trump also unveiled the Honors’ new medallions, redesigned and donated by Tiffany & Co. “We will be presenting this year with the Kennedy Center Honors medallions, which will be designed this year with the help of the fantastic team at Tiffany and Company,” he said. The new medallion features a gold disc etched with an image of the Kennedy Center, flanked by rainbow colors representing the breadth of art disciplines celebrated by the Honors. The reverse side includes each honoree’s name in script above the date of the 2025 Medallion Ceremony, and the medallion hangs from a navy-blue ribbon “associated with dignity and tradition,” according to the institution’s description. The honorees will be formally recognized Sunday evening during a star-studded celebration at the Kennedy Center following a State Department reception, which Trump noted “was never done before” because “we never had a president hosting the awards before. This is the first.” This year’s class spans five decades of American cultural achievement. Strait, known as the “King of Country Music,” holds more than 100 million RIAA certifications and remains the only artist to chart a Top 10 hit every year for more than thirty years. KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and remains one of America’s most enduring rock groups. Crawford is internationally known for originating the title role in “The Phantom of the Opera.” Gaynor has achieved global stardom across five decades and is a two-time Grammy winner. Stallone, an Academy Award–nominated actor, writer and director, has shaped generations of filmgoers through the “Rocky” and “Rambo” franchises. NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO OPEN ALL OF ITS KENNEDY CENTER SHOWS WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM The Kennedy Center itself, founded in 1971 as the national living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, hosts more than 2,000 performances each year. The Honors began in 1978 and have become a defining fixture of Washington’s cultural calendar. Trump also highlighted ongoing renovations to the Kennedy Center building, which he said are being carried out “at a level that nobody’s ever seen before,” noting congressional funding for major upgrades — including improvements to acoustics. “The sound is so fantastic,” he said. “If it’s built with bad sound, you never get it fixed.” The 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors will air Dec. 23 on CBS and will stream on Paramount+, with live access for Premium subscribers and next-day streaming for Essential subscribers. Officials say the weekend’s events, from the FIFA World Cup draw to the Oval Office reception to Sunday’s gala, reflect a new chapter for the institution as it enters its first full year under Trump’s leadership and prepares for the next phase of renovations, programming, and donor expansion.
Hegseth hints at major defense spending hike, reveals new details on Trump’s anti-narco-terrorism operations
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth offered new details Saturday about how he personally authorized the Trump administration’s first strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel off Venezuela on Sept. 2, telling Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson he watched the strike live in the Pentagon after giving the green light. Earlier in his keynote remarks, Hegseth declared that President Donald Trump is the true heir to Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine, accusing past bipartisan leaders of drifting into endless wars. After his speech, Hegseth sat down with Tomlinson for a Q&A that revealed new details about the Sept. 2 operation, which he said was the first in a series of more than 20 U.S. strikes targeting cartel-linked narco-terrorist networks across the Caribbean. He also sharply rejected reporting that he had instructed U.S. forces to kill all individuals on the boat. AS TRUMP’S STANDOFF WITH MADURO DEEPENS, EXPERTS WARN THE NEXT MOVE MAY FORCE A SHOWDOWN “(Is) anybody here from The Washington Post? I don’t know where you get your sources, but they suck,” Hegseth said when asked if he had ever issued such an order. “Of course not … you don’t walk in and say, ‘Kill them.’ It’s just patently ridiculous.” Hegseth also said it took “a couple of weeks, almost a month” to build the intelligence required for the first strike. He said the Pentagon had to reorient assets that had been focused “10,000 miles around the other side of the world for a very long time.” He kept strike authority at his level only for the initial operation due to its “strategic implications.” CAPITOL HILL REVOLT THREATENS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA PLAYBOOK AMID CARIBBEAN STRIKE OVERSIGHT “The briefing that I received before that strike was extensive, exhaustive,” he said. “Military side, on the civilian side, lawyers, intel analysts, red-teaming … all the details you need to strike a designated terrorist organization.” Hegseth said the target was part of an organization President Trump had formally designated as a terrorist group. “My job was to say execute or don’t execute,” he said. He approved the strike. HEGSETH TO HIGHLIGHT REBUILDING THE ‘ARSENAL OF FREEDOM’ IN SPEECH AT REAGAN NATIONAL DEFENSE FORUM According to Hegseth, he viewed the mission feed “for probably five minutes or so” before moving to other tasks once the strike shifted to tactical execution. Hours later, Hegseth said he was informed by commanders that a second strike was necessary. “There had to be a re-attack, because there were a couple of folks that could still be in the fight,” he said, citing access to radios, a possible link-up point with another boat and remaining drugs on board. “I fully support that strike,” he said. “I would have made the same call myself.” He added that secondary attacks are common in combat zones and fell “well within the authorities of Adm. Bradley,” who now oversees strike decisions. Hegseth said he no longer retains approval authority for subsequent missions. Addressing questions about survivor protocols, Hegseth pointed to a later incident involving a semi-submersible drug vessel. “In that particular case, the first strike didn’t take it out, and a couple of guys jumped off and swam,” he said. After the vessel was struck again and sank, U.S. forces retrieved the survivors. “We gave them back to their host countries,” he said, adding that the situation “didn’t change our protocol” but reflected different circumstances. HOUSE REPUBLICANS BACK TRUMP’S VENEZUELA MOVES FOR NOW AS ESCALATION UNCERTAINTY LOOMS Hegseth argued that the operations have already had a deterrent effect. “We’re putting them at the bottom of the Caribbean. … It will make the American people safer,” Hegseth said. Tomlinson pressed Hegseth on President Trump’s public statement that he did not oppose releasing the unredacted video of the first strike. “We’re reviewing it right now,” Hegseth said, citing concerns over “sources, methods” and ongoing operations. Hegseth said defense spending is one of the issues that “keeps [him] up,” adding he was recently in Oval Office meetings about the fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2027 budgets. Asked directly whether defense spending as a share of GDP will rise, he replied, “I think that number is going up,” while declining to get ahead of President Trump. “We need a revived defense industrial base,” he said. “We need those capabilities. We need them yesterday.” Tomlinson also asked whether Hegseth regretted using Signal ahead of combat operations in Yemen, referencing a recently closed inspector general review. “I don’t live with any regrets,” Hegseth said. “I know exactly where my compass is on our troops.” He argued that morale has surged under Trump. “The revival of the spirit inside our military … the desire to join and reenlist is at historic levels,” he said. Asked whether he prefers troops equipped with more AI-enabled tools or autonomous systems replacing them, Hegseth said the modern battlefield requires both. “It has to be both,” he said. “What AI is doing to ten, 100, 1,000 times the speed of sensing … is critical.” CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Tomlinson ended with a traditional Reagan Forum question, asking who Hegseth wants to win the Army–Navy game. “Well, I’m with Navy,” he said, before adding that the Marine Corps “stood strong” during political “nonsense” in recent years.
Dr. Oz warns Walz to address alleged Somali Medicaid fraud or lose federal funding: ‘We’ll stop paying’
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz on Friday warned Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the state could lose federal Medicaid funding unless it restores “the integrity” of its program. In a post on X, Dr. Oz claimed more than $1 billion had been stolen through a massive Medicaid fraud scheme carried out by “bad actors” within Minnesota’s Somali community, alleging some of the funds “may have even made its way to the Somalian terrorist group (al-Shabab).” “Our staff at CMS told me they’ve never seen anything like this in Medicaid — and everyone from Gov. Tim Walz on down needs to be investigated, because they’ve been asleep at the wheel,” Oz said. COMER TARGETS WALZ IN NEW HOUSE INVESTIGATION, CITING NEARLY $1B IN ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD Oz demanded Walz take the following corrective measures within 60 days: “If we’re unsatisfied with the state’s plans or cooperation, we’ll stop paying the federal share of these programs,” Oz warned. The CMS administrator pointed to two Minnesota Medicaid programs launched in recent years, noting dramatic spikes in costs. The Housing Stabilization Services program, projected at $2.6 million annually, paid out over $100 million in 2024, according to Oz. The Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program grew from $3 million in 2018 to nearly $400 million in 2023, he said. WALZ ‘DERELICT LEADERSHIP’ TO BLAME IN $1B FRAUD SCANDAL WITH ‘HAUNTING REMINDS OF WATERGATE’: GOP CHALLENGER “These scammers used stolen taxpayer money to buy flashy cars, purchase overseas real estate and offer kickbacks to parents who enrolled their kids at fake autism treatment centers,” Oz said. “Some of it may have even made its way to the Somalian terrorist group al-Shabab. … So why didn’t Walz stop them? That’s simple: because he went all-in on identity politics.” Minnesota officials previously reported the problem to CMS but failed to address it effectively, according to Oz. “We stepped in and shut down the worst program: housing. We also froze provider enrollment in a few of the most abused programs,” Oz said. PHOTOS EMERGE OF SOMALI ILLEGAL’S TIES TO TOP MINNESOTA DEMS AFTER ICE ARREST “The message to Walz is clear: either fix this in 60 days or start looking under your couch for spare change, because we’re done footing the bill for your incompetence.” President Donald Trump recently announced a flurry of actions to crack down and investigate fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has assailed as a “hub of money laundering activity,” and cited it as the basis of his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants. This week, senior Trump administration officials announced fresh investigations, including a new Treasury Department probe into how taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabab, according to Secretary Scott Bessent. Walz’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Hegseth to highlight rebuilding the ‘arsenal of freedom’ in speech at Reagan National Defense Forum
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is preparing to deliver a speech Saturday on rebuilding the “arsenal of freedom” at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. Ahead of the keynote address, Hegseth shared a video on X touring facilities in California. “The era of vendor-locked, prime-dominated, closed architecture, cost plus is over. We’re going to compete. We’re going to move fast. We’re going to do open architecture. We’re going to innovate. We’re going to scale. We’re going to do it at cost. Because this is a commitment to a mission,” Hegseth said in the video. “Whether you’re a vet or not who served already, all of you are serving the Department of War, the American people and the arsenal of freedom,” Hegseth said. “I need you to understand that, yes, we’re here for the warfighters who are out there pulling triggers on the behalf of our nation right now. Everybody here’s touched someone who serves at some point. But they can’t succeed without you.” WAR DEPARTMENT REFOCUSES ON AI, HYPERSONICS AND DIRECTED ENERGY IN MAJOR STRATEGY OVERHAUL The secretary told those building the Department of War’s arsenal that American troops would not be able to do what’s required of them “in far-flung places, in dangerous moments, in the dead of night without the capabilities that you will underwrite for them.” “So, this arsenal of freedom is built not just with men and women in camouflage. But it’s in folks in civilian clothes all across the country who are also putting in the work 24/7, to out-compete, out-innovate and out-manufacture our opponents,” Hegseth declared. Hegseth’s speech is scheduled to begin around 2:50 p.m. ET, according to a Reagan National Defense Forum schedule. He will be joined at the event by other leaders from the U.S. military. “We are rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom,” Hegseth wrote on X alongside the video. SAUDI ARABIA IS ALREADY AMERICA’S TOP ARMS BUYER AND NOW TRUMP WANTS TO ADD F-35S The event is being held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. “The Reagan National Defense Forum (RNDF) brings together leaders from across the political spectrum and key stakeholders in the defense community, including Members of Congress, current and former Administration officials, senior military leadership, industry executives, technology innovators, and thought leaders,” the Forum said on its website. “Their mission is to review and assess policies that strengthen America’s national defense in the context of the global threat environment.” Notable speakers at the event so far on Saturday included Russell Vought, the director of the United States Office of Management and Budget; Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., who is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee; Emil Michael, the U.S. under secretary of war for research and engineering; and Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.