India

Uttar Pradesh police registered eight FIRs in Varanasi over alleged AI-generated and misleading social media posts about Manikarnika Ghat redevelopment. Authorities accused individuals and X handles of spreading false visuals, hurting religious sentiments, and disturbing social harmony during the ongoing beautification project

The Supreme Court is set to hear on January 19 the plea of Madhya Pradesh minister Kunwar Vijay Shah challenging a high court order directing the registration of an FIR against him for using offensive language against Indian Army officer Col Sofiya Qureshi. Shah has expressed regret over his remarks. The top court had earlier reprimanded him for not placing a public apology on record

H5N1 avian influenza has been detected in crows in Edakkanam, Iritty, Kannur, prompting local authorities to issue alerts and strengthen precautions, though no domestic birds are affected and culling is not required at this stage

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy joined Hyderabad’s ‘Sundays On Cycle’ event, promoting the Fit India movement and highlighting healthy lifestyles, obesity prevention, and citizen well-being, while participating in a six-kilometre mass cycling rally with athletes, SAI officials, and fitness enthusiasts

Space start-up GalaxEye will launch “Mission Drishti,” India’s largest privately developed satellite combining optical and radar sensors to produce all-weather fused earth images, with applications in defence, agriculture, disaster response, and climate monitoring, aiming for a 10-satellite constellation by 2030

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the Rs 6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor in Assam to ensure safe wildlife movement, reduce highway accidents, and boost ecotourism, while also virtually flagging off two Amrit Bharat Express trains to enhance connectivity

Indian Street Premier League has opened bids for co-ownership of Srinagar Ke Veer, owned by Akshay Kumar, offering investors a chance to partner with a successful franchise as ISPL expands its footprint, viewership and long-term franchise value

AR Rahman addressed backlash over his remarks on alleged communal bias in Bollywood, saying his words were misunderstood, reaffirming India as his inspiration and home, and stressing his commitment to music that uplifts, unites cultures and never intends to hurt sentiments

Adani Solar became the only Indian firm ranked in Wood Mackenzie’s Global Solar Module Manufacturer Ranking H1 2025, securing Grade A status and eighth position, highlighting India’s rising role in global clean energy manufacturing and diversified solar supply chains

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation for the Kaziranga elevated corridor project, a Rs 6,957-crore initiative aimed at safeguarding wildlife movement, reducing highway accidents and improving connectivity while boosting ecotourism in Assam

Olive Ridley turtle nesting is picking up along Tamil Nadu’s delta coast after a delayed start, with over 9,000 eggs secured in Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam, as improving sea conditions and the new moon are expected to boost activity

Millions of devotees thronged Haridwar, Varanasi and Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya, braving cold and fog to take sacred dips, perform rituals and prayers, as authorities enforced tight security and crowd management during the major Magh Mela bathing day nationwide peacefully

Parents of two trainee kabaddi players found hanging in an SAI hostel in Kollam have demanded a thorough probe, alleging inconsistencies, distress at the facility, suspicious handling by officials, and questioning whether the teenage athletes could have died by suicide

India’s aviation regulator DGCA has fined IndiGo Rs 22.20 crore for massive flight disruptions in December 2025, when over 3,000 flights were cancelled or delayed, stranding more than three lakh passengers.

India defeated Bangladesh by 18 runs via the DLS method in the U19 World Cup at Bulawayo. Vihaan Malhotra’s 4 for 14 and Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 72 powered India, while Bangladesh collapsed after being 102 for 2 in 20 overs

Smriti Mandhana’s 96 and Georgia Voll’s unbeaten 54 powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in WPL 2026. Shafali Verma’s fighting 62 went in vain as RCB registered their fourth consecutive victory to stay unbeaten

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released admit cards for JEE Main 2026 session-1 exams scheduled from January 21 to 24 for BE/BTech candidates. Admit cards for BArch and BPlanning papers scheduled on January 28 and 29 will be issued later.

India face New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at Indore with the series tied 1-1. Rohit Sharma’s form and Virat Kohli’s consistency are under focus as India look to protect their home record against a confident Black Caps side

UP Warriorz defeated defending champions Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in WPL 2026 at Navi Mumbai. Meg Lanning (70) and Phoebe Litchfield (61) starred with the bat, while Shikha Pandey and Deepti Sharma led a disciplined bowling effort

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been cleared to host IPL and international matches again after months of suspension following the 2025 stampede tragedy. KSCA assured compliance with safety measures, while RCB’s IPL 2026 home venue remains under discussion

Hyderabad Toofans defeated Shrachi Bengal Tigers 6-0 in the Men’s Hockey India League at Bhubaneswar. Zachary Wallace and Tim Brand scored hat-tricks, while the defence held firm to secure a dominant win at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium

Jonatan Christie defeated Loh Kean Yew 21-18, 22-20 to reach the men’s singles final of the India Open 2026, extending his winning streak over Loh to nine matches. An Se Young set up a women’s final against Wang Zhi Yi

A Hindu fuel station worker was killed in Bangladesh after being run over by a vehicle whose occupants allegedly tried to flee without paying for fuel. The incident comes amid concerns over a rise in violence against minorities ahead of national elections

The Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Assam, in collaboration with Inspire Institute of Sport, has launched high-performance training camps in Guwahati across seven sports. International coaches are leading programmes in chess, tennis and table tennis, with taekwondo starting Sunday