Local Round-up: Air India rolls out New Fares, Right to Disconnect and more

India has entered the second week of the last month with another tragedy where 25 people lost their lives in a Goa club due to a lack of compliance with the safety norms. There has also been economic turmoil affecting citizens and airline passengers alike. Here are the important updates to check out this morning:

Goa fire tragedy: 25 dead in a nightclub

A massive fire broke out in Goa's Arpora region, claiming 25 lives, as per the official sources. In the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, the fire took place when people had gathered to listen to a Bollywood DJ and amidst a dance performance. Reportedly, all 25 killed in the blaze have been identified, which includes 20 members of the hotel staff and five tourists.

Air India offers new fares amidst Indigo crisis

The Air India airline, today, has stated that it has started the new fares, aiming to comply with the directions from the government to all airlines to monitor their flight ticket prices. The order was issued after the airlines started increasing the prices, while Indigo cancelled more than a thousand flights last week. Air India has also announced that the passengers who have booked the Air India flights in Economy Class during the transition period at the inflated prices can get refunded for the difference amount.

Right to disconnect introduced in the Lok Sabha 

NCP MP Supriya Sule tabled the “Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025”, with a proposal to create an employees’ welfare authority that aims to remove official communication beyond office hours or on holidays. It is a private member's bill that also gives the option to employees the right to refuse work-related calls and emails outside working hours. 

More than 700 trees to be removed for Thane Mental Hospital revamp

In yet another news of the felling of trees over a construction-led project, more than 700 trees are likely to be removed for revamping the Thane Regional Mental Hospital from a 63-acre campus facility. The Thane Municipal Corporation's Tree Authority has asked for objections, if any, from the public over this. Reportedly, there are 1,600 indigenous trees on the campus.

India unveils new consulate building in Shanghai after 32 years 

India opened its new Consulate building in Shanghai on Sunday, in a move of relocation after 32 years, as inaugurated by the Indian Ambassador to China, Pradeep Kumar Rawat. As per reports, it will start operations from its new premises on December 8. The consulate caters to the business community of India in the eastern region of China.

Mumbai records 20,000 cyber financial frauds in the last 5 years

As per a recent report, Mumbai is witnessing a surge in cyber financial fraud, with card cloning and OTP scams said to be the most common factors. Since 2020, 20,000 such cases have been reported, while the recovery of the money lost remains "minimal". A total of4,132 FIRs are said to have been registered in cases pertaining to debit cards, ATMs, SIM swaps, and more such frauds.