India

Forty-seven villages in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Bastar region celebrated Republic Day for the first time, unfurling the Tricolour amid improved security, growing public trust and expanding development, marking a milestone in democratic restoration

Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi extended Republic Day greetings, honouring fallen heroes and reaffirming the Army’s commitment to national security, while the force showcased its discipline and preparedness during Republic Day parade rehearsals

Five US states have proclaimed January 26, 2026, as India’s Republic Day, recognising the adoption of India’s Constitution, shared democratic values and the growing contributions of the Indian and Indian American community to cultural and economic life.

Sainyam of Chandigarh and Gaurav Kumar of Uttar Pradesh won the women’s and men’s 10m Air Pistol Trial 2 finals at the National Selection Trials in New Delhi. Rhythm Sangwan and Yogesh Kumar finished second, while Meenu Pathak and Harsh Swami took third

World Champion D Gukesh lost to Anish Giri in round 7 of Tata Steel Masters, while Arjun Erigaisi and Aravindh Chithambaram also suffered defeats. Nodirbek Abdusattorov leads with 5.5 points, as Indians struggle in the prestigious chess event

Tiigers of Kolkata defeated Falcon Risers Hyderabad by 13 runs in ISPL Season 3 at Surat. Saif Ali’s 61 powered Kolkata to 119/4, while Shivam Kumar and Firdos Alam starred with the ball to restrict Hyderabad to 106/6

Former BCCI president IS Bindra, who transformed cricket marketing and played a key role in organising the 1987 World Cup, passed away in New Delhi at 84. He also served as Punjab Cricket Association president for decades

Sonali Mondal scored a brilliant hat-trick as India defeated Sri Lanka 5-2 to finish runner-up at the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship in Bangkok. Mithila Ramani and Pooja Gupta added goals, while Bangladesh claimed the overall title

Teen racers Ishaan Madesh and Sai Shiva Sankaran clinched the Formula 2000 and Formula 1600 titles at the Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 in Chennai. Other winners included Biren Pithawalla, Joel Joseph, Aman Nagdev and Tarushi Vikram across categories

At its best, slow home is not about consumption; it’s about deceleration, an act of resistance

BCB’s confrontational stance has exposed deep fear and frustration within Bangladesh cricket

Abhishek Sharma’s stunning 12-ball fifty and Suryakumar Yadav’s fluent 57 not out powered India to an eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the third T20I at Guwahati. Bishnoi and Bumrah starred with the ball as India sealed the series 3-0

Ranchi Royals defeated Hyderabad Toofans 3-2 in qualifier 2 of the Hockey India League 2026 at Bhubaneswar. Tom Boon’s hat-trick sealed the win, setting up a final clash against Vedanta Kalinga Lancers. Amandeep Lakra and Jacob Anderson scored for Toofans

Vamshi Kumar will captain Osmania University in the South Zone inter-university cricket tournament starting January 27 in Mysuru. The squad includes Paras Raj, Kunal Daswani, Anivith Reddy and others, with N Surya Teja as coach

Telangana’s Nayana Sri Talluri clinched her second gold medal at the Khelo India Winter Games in Ladakh, winning the 1000m short track event. She became the third skater to secure two individual golds, highlighting India’s rising ice skating talent

Uttarakhand defeated Hyderabad by one wicket in the BCCI Senior women’s one-day practice match at AOC Ground. Despite Drithi Kesari’s brilliant 5/44, Hyderabad’s 144 was chased down as Nandini Kashyap scored 39 to guide Uttarakhand home

Abhishek Agarwal’s fine century powered Vidarbha to 277/5 declared in the second innings against Hyderabad in the Col C K Nayudu Trophy. Hyderabad ended the third day at 42/1, still trailing after conceding a first-innings lead

India’s Karan Singh defeated top seed Max Houkes of The Netherlands 6-4, 6-4 to win the Hyderabad Open ITF men’s tennis title. The third seed claimed the singles crown at Lake View Tennis Academy on Sunday

Andhra defeated defending champions Vidarbha by eight wickets in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group match at Anantapur. SK Rasheed’s unbeaten 132 and Ricky Bhui’s 64 guided the chase as Andhra moved to the top of Elite Group A with 28 points

Serious allegations have surfaced over irregularities in Singareni Collieries Company Limited’s (SCCL) tender for procurement of Site Mixed Emulsion (SME) explosives. A whistle-blower claims that a Board director was sidelined and tender conditions were manipulated, leading to an estimated Rs 300–350 crore additional burden on the PSU.

A 60-year-old man was brutally dragged behind a motorcycle in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh after refusing to give money. One accused has been arrested, while two others are absconding. The victim remains critical in hospital

Pakistan’s inclusion on US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has raised serious concerns in India, given its long record of cross-border terrorism and democratic failures. New Delhi is urged to approach the initiative with caution and vigilance

CRPF dismantled a suspected Maoist arms and explosives manufacturing unit in Palaguda forests along the Sukma–Bijapur border, seizing large quantities of materials and foiling a major insurgent plot ahead of Republic Day

Police in Shahjahanpur booked eight men after a man and a woman jumped from the second floor of a pizza outlet, allegedly fearing for their safety when members of a Hindutva outfit demanded their identity cards. Both were seriously injured