India

Celebrity chef-filmmaker Vikas Khanna directs Shabana Azmi in his upcoming film *Imaginary Rain*, exploring grief, family, and Indian cuisine. Khanna also returns as a judge on *MasterChef India 2026*, which introduces a ‘jodi’ format celebrating culinary diversity

A 50-year-old epilepsy patient died in Bhadohi after reportedly suffering a seizure and falling into a bonfire outside his home while keeping warm. The incident occurred in Bhakora village, with police confirming accidental death after preliminary examination

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been appointed chairperson of the screening committee for Assam Assembly elections. The AICC formed committees for five poll-bound states as the party prepares candidate selection and alliance strategy ahead of the March–April polls

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, serving a 20-year sentence for rape and murder convictions, has been granted a 40-day parole in Haryana. This marks yet another temporary release, drawing renewed criticism from Sikh organisations and opposition groups

Residents of Bakery Gali in Indore have alleged that black, foul-smelling and worm-infested water is being supplied through municipal taps, triggering illness and health concerns. Officials have conducted inspections elsewhere, but affected locals are demanding urgent corrective measures.

Seven of India’s top-10 valued firms added over Rs 1.23 lakh crore in market capitalisation last week, tracking a broader market rally. Reliance Industries led the gains, while TCS, Infosys and Bajaj Finance saw valuation declines

A 30-year-old Dalit woman was stabbed to death in Yellapur, allegedly by a man pressuring her to marry him. The accused was later found dead. The incident sparked communal tension, protests, bandh calls and heightened security in Uttara Kannada district

Daily Horoscope: Your stars are bringing good tidings for you. Check out your astrological predictions for January 4, 2026. May the day bring you happiness

X said it will remove illegal content, suspend offending accounts and cooperate with authorities, including for AI tool Grok misuse, after India’s IT ministry ordered takedowns of obscene material, sought action reports, and warned of legal action for non-compliance nationwide

A drunk auto-rickshaw driver in Hyderabad allegedly threatened traffic police with a dead snake after his vehicle was seized during a drunk-driving check at Chandrayangutta. The accused fled the spot, and the incident video later went viral

Four members of a Manjeri family were killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia while returning from Umrah. Three daughters were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment, as efforts begin to repatriate the bodies and support the bereaved family

A major fire at Thrissur Railway Station destroyed over 200 two-wheelers in the parking area near Platform No. 2. Firefighters contained the blaze within 30 minutes. Train services remained unaffected.

Congress has announced a nationwide ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ from January 10 to February 25, demanding withdrawal of the VB-G RAM G Act and restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based employment guarantee, alleging centralisation and federal violations

India batter Shreyas Iyer will return to competitive cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai against Himachal Pradesh after recovering from a spleen injury. His availability for the upcoming New Zealand series will depend on fitness clearance

Hardik Pandya smashed 11 sixes, including five in one over, on his way to a 93-ball 133 for Baroda against Vidarbha in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His maiden List A century lifted Baroda to 293 in 50 overs

Indian driver Sanjay Takale made history by winning the H3 Class in the Dakar Rally 2026 Prologue, finishing 35th overall in Cars. Driving a Toyota HDJ 100, he became the first Indian to podium in the Dakar Cars category

Tamil Nadu Dragons defeated Hyderabad Toofans 4-2 in a shoot-out after a 3-3 draw in regulation time in the Men’s Hockey India League opener. Goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh saved two penalties, while Raheel Mohammed scored the decisive strike in Chennai

Resonance Educational Institutions, Hyderabad, felicitated student Padakanti Viswanath Karthikey, recipient of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. At 16, he became the youngest Indian and world’s second youngest to complete the Seven Summits Challenge. He now aims to join the NDA

World champion Meenakshi, Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Amit Panghal are among 600 boxers competing at the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida from January 4-10, 2026, the first joint event for men and women

As the Union government replaces MGNREGA with centrally designed VB-GRAMG, it quietly dismantles a rights-based employment guarantee, putting rural women’s livelihoods at risk

Army’s Ajay Kumar won gold in the 10m Air Pistol Men’s final, while Karnataka’s Jonathan Gavin Antony completed a rare treble across Sub-Youth, Youth and Junior events. Tamil Nadu swept both Senior and Junior Trap Mixed Team titles at the National Shooting Championship

Tilak Varma’s century and Abhirath Reddy’s 71 lifted Hyderabad to 286 before CTL Rakshann’s three wickets helped dismiss Chandigarh for 150, sealing a 136-run win in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Rajkot, Hyderabad’s first victory of the edition

Vivaan Dave and Naisha Rewaskar saved three match points in a thrilling decider to upset top seeds Aditya Das and Ankolika Chakraborty and reach the U-15 mixed doubles final at the WTT Youth Contender in Vadodara

The road transport ministry has proposed a Battery Pack Aadhaar Number (BPAN) system to assign a unique 21-character identification code to electric vehicle batteries. The initiative prioritises EV batteries, which account for nearly 90 per cent of India’s lithium-ion demand.