As the countdown to the 98th Academy Awards continues, Indian cinema is making waves once again, moving closer to a potential Oscar win this year.

Two Indian films, Rishab Shetty’s ‘Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1’ and Anupam Kher’s ‘Tanvi The Great’, have taken a strategic step toward global recognition by joining the list of 201 feature films eligible for consideration at the 98th Oscars.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) revealed the 201 films that qualify directly for the prestigious Best Picture category, according to Variety.

Eligible films had to meet additional requirements beyond general entry, including a theatrical run and submission of a confidential Academy Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry (RAISE) form.

They also needed to satisfy at least two of the four Academy inclusion standards and complete a qualifying theatrical engagement in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets within 45 days of their initial 2025 release.

Having met all the criteria, both Kantara and Tanvi The Great have positioned themselves as potential contenders on the global stage.

Earlier in November 2025, the Academy had announced eligible films for Best Documentary, Animated Feature, and International Feature Film, totaling 317 across all categories. The Oscar nominations for the 98th edition will be unveiled on January 22.

Produced by Hombale Films, ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’ explores the origins of Daiva worship in Tulunadu, tracing its roots to the fourth-century Kadamba dynasty. Rishab Shetty stars as Berme, the guardian of the ‘Kantara’ forest and its tribal communities.

Directed by Anupam Kher, ‘Tanvi The Great’ features Shubhangi in the title role of Tanvi Raina, a young girl inspired by her late father’s service in the Indian Army.

The film explores themes of autism and determination, with Anupam Kher, Jackie Shroff, Boman Irani, and Karan Tacker in key roles.

Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kishanrao Bagade has granted permission for prosecution of former PHED Minister Mahesh Joshi in the infamous Jal Jeevan Mission(JJM).

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made a case under sections 3 & 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 against Joshi.

Governor Bagade accorded the permission exercising his powers under article 164 of the Constitution for initiating prosecution against the former minister Joshi under the PMLA, a Lok Bhavan Spokesman said here Friday.

The permission is given as per the penal procedure code section 197(1) (section 2018 – Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Samhita) in view of his prima facie involvement in crime (scam), the spokesman said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on April 24, 2025 had arrested former minister Joshi in the scam after a prolonged session of interrogation here.

As per the available details, the process of inviting and approving the tenders (granting contracts) for various water supply schemes related works under JJM on the basis of forged certificates led to scam-irregularities of over Rs 2000 crore during the previous Congress regime (2018 -2023).

The ruling BJP leaders, including Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena had raised voice against this “scam” that according to Meena involved the irregularities of more than Rs 20,000 crore.

Prior to the interrogation of Joshi, several high officials of PHED, contractors, and representatives of some supplier firms have also been questioned by ED. Of them four – Mahesh Mittal, Padam Chand Jain, Piyush Jain and Sanjay Badaya were arrested in the case.

They were later released on bail by the Supreme Court.

The ex-Minister Joshi has also been released on bail recently after remaining behind bars for almost 20 months.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has claimed that “Today, UP has become a preferred destination for investors from India and around the world, with its ‘Industry First, Investors First’ approach”.

“In the last 8-9 years, UP has received investment proposals worth ₹45 lakh crore. Of these, groundbreaking ceremonies have already been held for proposals worth ₹15 lakh crore. Groundbreaking ceremonies for another ₹6 lakh crore worth of investment proposals will be held next month. Proposals worth ₹5 lakh crore are still in the pipeline and will also have their groundbreaking ceremonies in UP soon,” he announced.

CM Yogi, along with Defence Minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh, inaugurated Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant on Friday.

The Chief Minister and other guests inspected the factory and also planted Rudraksha saplings. CM Yogi congratulated the Hinduja family for their investment and expressed gratitude for their trust in the UP government.

The CM said that this investment is extremely important for Uttar Pradesh.

CM Yogi stated that investment is currently underway in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Referring to better connectivity, the CM said that 55 percent of the country’s expressways are in Uttar Pradesh. The highest number of cities in the country operating electric vehicles and a metro for public transport are in Uttar Pradesh.

The country’s largest rail network is in Uttar Pradesh. Two dedicated freight corridors being built in the country are passing through Uttar Pradesh. Work is also underway on developing a logistics terminal and a logistics and transport hub in Uttar Pradesh. The country’s first rapid rail and waterway operations have also been launched in Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath referred to Prime Minister Modi’s Vision 2047 and said that every citizen has resolved to make India a developed and self-reliant nation.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that UP contributes 9.5 percent to the country’s GDP. UP’s GSDP will reach ₹36 lakh crore by the end of this financial year.

Chief Minister said that UP is rapidly moving towards becoming a global electronics and IT hub. 55 percent of the country’s mobile manufacturing is taking place in UP.

He said that Ashok Leyland’s EV manufacturing plant is part of the FDI and Fortune 500 policy. Before 2017, the share of FDI in UP was negligible, but today, UP has attracted FDI and Fortune 500 companies through its policies, he said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the features of the plant, stating that the MoU was signed in September 2023.

“The Letter of Intent (LOI) and land transfer process were completed in January 2024. The fact that a world-class plant has been built and dedicated to the nation in just 18 months is a result of the double-engine government’s fast-track approval system and good governance,” he added.

Political parties have pulled up their socks to submit forms for enrolling left over voters in the electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh after a record 28.9 million voters’ names were deleted on the Special Intensive Revision ( SIR).

According to the statistics, there were 114 seats where the margin of victory was less than 10,000 in the 2022 assembly polls in the state. Of these, 63 went to the BJP and 41 to the Samajwadi Party.

Going by the results of the 2022 UP Assembly elections, there were 15 seats where the margin of victory or defeat was less than 1,000. In ten of these seats, the result was decided by a margin of less than 500 votes. Of these 15 seats, the BJP and its allies won nine, while the SP alliance prevailed in 6. Now, between 32,000 and 1.12 lakh votes have been cut on these seats.

These SIR figures are considered worrying for the BJP. The party is concerned about the significant vote loss in urban areas. The BJP has long been considered an urban party, and urban areas have seen a significant number of vote losses.

However, it’s not just the BJP that will suffer losses, the Samajwadi Party will also face the impact. In the districts where a large Muslim population lives abroad for employment or other reasons, the party will suffer losses. These voters’ names have been removed from the voter list and will now have to go through a complex process to get their names re-included.

BJP’s new state president, Pankaj Chaudhary and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had warned, “If the missing voters are not added in time, the BJP will likely suffer the most losses in seats with margins of less than 10,000.”

“These are not your opponents’ voters; 85 to 90 per cent of them are our voters,” CM Yogi had informed party workers.

Meanwhile, with 28.9 million names removed from the draft list, the focus is now on adding the names of eligible voters during the one-month claims and objections period, which runs until February 6.

According to officials, this process is specifically targeting young new voters who turned 18 on January 1, 2026. Additionally, efforts are being made to re-add voters whose names were removed due to a lack of documents, unmapped status, or because they were found absent or unavailable by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the enumeration process.

According to the data released by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office, the BJP has a clear lead over other parties in voter enrollment. The saffron party has submitted 1,121 applications so far, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) has submitted 26, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) only 19.

CEO Navdeep Rinwa said here on Friday that the eligible voters, whose names are not included in the draft list, can apply by filling out Form-6 with the necessary documents and declaration. He added that young people who have completed 18 years of age by January 1, 2026, can also get their names added to the voter list through this form.

He informed that claims and objections can be filed from January 6 to February 6 during the second phase of the Special Summary Revision (SSR). Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties can submit up to 10 forms daily.

Under this process, these claims and objections will be heard and verified by February 27, after which the final voter list will be published on March 6. A senior BJP leader said the party has activated its entire organizational machinery to ensure the inclusion of eligible voters whose names were not included in the draft electoral roll.

He said that booth-level workers have been given copies of the voter list, and all fronts and cells have been instructed to coordinate with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to review the list. The party has set a target of adding at least 200 voters’ names at each polling booth.

Notably, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also raised the issue of missing voters at a party meeting last month. On December 14, he said,

BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary has appealed to party workers to pay special attention to voter enrollment in the second phase of the Special Summary Revision (SSR).

Hundreds of small retailers, hawkers and pavement sellers from across Delhi poured on the streets on Friday in fear and anguish, protesting the sharp increase in taxes on legal tobacco products.

They held demonstrations across the capital and sat in a dharna outside the Ministry of Finance, pleading for an immediate rollback of the excessive tax hikes and a re-notification of sensible tax rates rooted in Indian reality that can protect demand and save livelihood.

The protest was led by the Federation of Retailers Association of India (FRAI), which represents nearly 80 lakh micro, small and medium retailers nationwide with a membership of 54 Retail Associations from Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western parts of the country. With no alternative source of income to fall back on, retailers said the sudden price shock threatens the survival of their small businesses and the well-being of their families.

The FRAI clarified that while retailers are not opposed to taxation or public health objectives, they are seeking a calibrated, sensible taxation policy rooted in Indian reality, that avoids sudden price shocks and protects millions of self-employed sellers.

Speaking at the protest, Vinay Kumar, secretary, Federation of Retailers Association of India (FRAI), said, “Today we have come out because our lives are in danger. Sudden and big tax increases will make daily goods too costly for poor people and break the small shops that feed our families.”

As per a recent Ministry of Finance notification under the Chewing Tobacco, Jarda Scented Tobacco and Gutkha Packing Machines (Capacity Determination and Collection of Duty) Rules, 2026, an excise duty of Rs 2,050–8,500 per 1,000 sticks-depending on cigarette length-has been imposed, effective February 1.

The Jharkhand High Court on Friday got a new Chief Justice with Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak being sworn in at a ceremony held at Birsa Mandap, Lok Bhavan.

The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar in the presence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Following the ceremony, the Governor and the Chief Minister extended their congratulations and best wishes to the new Chief Justice.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar read out the warrant of appointment of Justice Sonak as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. The Governor’s Additional Chief Secretary, Dr Nitin Kulkarni, formally invited Justice Sonak to take the oath.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Ministers Radha Krishna Kishore and Deepika Pandey Singh, Speaker of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Rabindra Nath Mahato, along with sitting and former judges of the Jharkhand High Court. Senior officials from the Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service, High Court officials, and senior advocates were also present.

Justice Sonak succeeds Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, who demitted office earlier this week. A full court farewell was held on January 8 to mark Justice Chauhan’s retirement.

Born on November 28, 1964, Justice Sonak completed his schooling in Panaji, Goa. He holds a BSc degree from Dhempe College of Arts and Science and an LLB, obtained in first class, from MS College of Law, Panaji. He has also earned a diploma in Portuguese from the Xavier Centre of Historical Research.

Justice Sonak enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in October 1988. He practised extensively at the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court in civil and constitutional law, labour and service matters, environmental law, commercial and tax cases, company law and public interest litigation. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on June 21, 2013, and became a permanent judge on March 2, 2016.

Justice Sonak will serve as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court until November 28, 2026.

US President Donald Trump, once again backing the ongoing protests in Iran has warned the authorities in Tehran over their brutal crackdown on protesters, and hailed the Iranian people as “strong” and “brave.”

His comments came as millions took to the streets in various parts of the country, protesting against the theocratic regime and shouting for the ouster of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led regime, in favour of exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi.

In response, Iranian security personnel upped the ante of their crowd control measures with ruthless suppression, detaining thousands and killing several protesters amid the nationwide demonstrations on Thursday.

Trump, talking to podcaster Hugh Hewitt, said that the Iranian leadership “have been told very strongly… that if they do that, they’re going to have to pay hell.”

This is the third time since the start of protests on December 28 that Trump has warned Tehran against killing demonstrators, threatening possible US intervention.

Vice President JD Vance, backing Trump’s statement, said that the administration stands by “anybody who is engaged in peaceful protests” and seeking to exercise “their rights of free association and to have their voices heard,” including in Iran.

“Obviously, the Iranian regime has a lot of problems, as the President of the United States has said, the smartest thing for them to have done, it was true two months ago, it’s true today, is for them to actually have a real negotiation with the United States about what we need to see when it comes to their nuclear program,” Vance said to reporters at the White House.

“I’ll let the President speak to what we’re going to do in the future. But we certainly stand with anybody across the world, including the Iranian people, who are advocating for their rights,” he added.

Addressing Iranians directly, he urged them to “feel strongly about freedom,” and said “There’s nothing like freedom. You’re brave people. It’s a shame what’s happened to your country.”

Protesters in Iran have appealed directly to Trump for protection, with human rights groups saying that at least 36 people have been killed since the protests began on December 28, while more than 2,000 people have been arrested or detained.

A nationwide internet blackout was imposed on the country on Thursday, after protests intensified following a video released by Prince Pahlavi, who urged protesters to carry on, leading to a surge in demonstrations, leading to the regime imposing an internet shutdown.
Asked if he would meet exiled Prince Pahlavi, Trump said he is still monitoring the situation in the country, before he meets the exiled prince or endorses any potential future figure for Iran.

“Well, I’ve watched him, and he seems like a nice person, but I’m not sure that it would be appropriate at this point to do that as President,” Trump responded.

“I think that we should let everybody go out there and see who emerges. I’m not sure necessarily that it would be an appropriate thing to do.”

In major progress in the narco-terror case, the police on Friday arrested another member of the module from a border village and recovered arms and ammunition from him.

Police identified the arrested person as Rohit Kumar and acting upon his disclosure, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducted a search at his residence in the border village of Raiyan Kotliyan, in R.S. Pura, which resulted in the recovery of one Italian pistol (Px5 Storm Beretta, .30 bore), one magazine and three live rounds.

The Jammu South Zone Police said it has achieved further significant progress in the high-profile case earlier busted by Police Station Gandhi Nagar, involving an inter-district, inter-state and cross-border narcotics and arms syndicate following a deep, sustained and professional investigation.

On 14 November 2025, Police Station Gandhi Nagar had registered FIR No. 249/2025 U/S 8/21/22/29 NDPS Act & 111 BNS after apprehending two persons during patrolling, which subsequently led to the unearthing of a well-organised narco-terror module. During the investigation, multiple accused were arrested, including peddlers, financial handlers and jail-based facilitators, and recoveries of over 4.95 kg of heroin-like substance, three pistols, live ammunition, and a modified vehicle were effected, revealing cross-border linkages.

In the continued deep and professional investigation of the said case, one more accused has been apprehended by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted under the supervision of SP City South and SDPO City South.

The accused is presently in police custody, and further interrogation is underway to establish his exact role, backward and forward linkages, and arms supply routes.

Efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend remaining associates, trace financial and logistical channels and establish complete cross-border and interstate linkages.

Jammu Police remains firmly committed to dismantling narco-terror ecosystems, neutralising criminal networks, and ensuring the safety and security of the youth and citizens of Jammu, the Police said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has claimed that, “India is no longer weak. We are manufacturing our own weapons, and Uttar Pradesh is leading the way.”

He said, “This thinking, this hard work, and this path is what makes a country strong, and this is the path our government is following today.”

Rajnath Singh, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister HD Kumaraswamy, inaugurated the Ashok Leyland EV Bus Manufacturing plant in Lucknow on Friday.

The Defence Minister, who is an MP from Lucknow said, “In 2014, our domestic defence production was only ₹46,000 crore, meaning we were able to manufacture weapons and equipment worth only ₹46,000 crore in India. But today, that has increased to a record high of over ₹1.5 lakh crore. In 2014, India’s defence exports were very low. We were able to sell weapons and equipment worth less than ₹1,000 crore to the world, but today that has increased to a record ₹25,000 crore. By 2029, our defence exports will go up to Rs 50,000 crores.”

Singh said, “I can say with confidence that the path to a developed India will lie through a developed Uttar Pradesh. Today, as we discuss electric vehicles, I would like to add that you too have experienced the network of roads and highways that have been laid across the country over the past 10-11 years under the leadership of our Prime Minister.”

He said, “Today, work related to national security has begun in Uttar Pradesh. The government has built a defense corridor here where weapons, ammunition, and warship equipment for the armed forces will now be manufactured in our state.”

He said, “This work is being done in six places: Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh, and Chitrakoot. So far, investments of more than Rs 34,000 crore have come here, where a large number of companies are setting up factories. The direct benefit of this is that people from our villages will find work here.”

Rajnath Singh said, “In addition, there is a BrahMos Aerospace factory in Lucknow, where the BrahMos missile is being manufactured. You must have seen the feat of BrahMos in Operation Sindoor. Now, this missile is not imported; it is manufactured in our own country, in our own Uttar Pradesh.”

Singh said, “Our government has taken several important steps to strengthen industrial development. Today, we have launched the “Make in India” initiative. Many major products that were previously imported from abroad are now being manufactured in India.”

The Defence Minister said, “In the coming years, we will see fewer oil-powered vehicles and more EVs. It’s also important for the environment that we promote EVs. Therefore, our government is paying more attention to these futuristic technologies and promoting them.”

The Defence Minister said, “To achieve this, we are simplifying all regulations to make it easier to establish industries. We are simplifying the previously difficult regulations. We have introduced an online system to ensure that no industrial unit faces difficulties in getting any document verified.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the National IED Data Management System (NIDMS) of the National Security Guard (NSG), expressing confidence that the new system will prove extremely important in investigating terrorist activities, understanding trends in explosions, and formulating effective strategies against them.

Addressing the programme via video conferencing, he said that the NIDMS would prove to be extremely important in the coming days for the investigation of all types of terrorist incidents occurring in the country and for the analysis of their various aspects.

Shah said the Ministry of Home Affairs has generated various types of data in the past years, but until now they were in silos, i.e., separate from each other. ‘’Now, we are making efforts to connect all these data sources with one another and to develop an advanced Artificial Intelligence-based software for their analysis.’’

He said today’s launch of NIDMS will accelerate this process and prove to be an important milestone in the direction of making the country safe from terrorism.

The home minister said with the NIDMS being launched today, a two-way comprehensive, integrated and online data platform will become available to NIA, Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS) across the country, state police forces and all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). He said that data related to any explosion or IED incident occurring at any location can be included in this system.

He said that the database available with NSG contains data related to all bomb explosions from 1999 till now. He said that through NIDMS, this data will now be made available to police forces across the country and relevant agencies.

NIDMS will become a robust platform for accurately analysing the patterns of bomb explosions that have occurred in the country so far, the modus operandi (MO), and the explosives used.

Shah said that it will provide significant help in establishing inter-linkages between incidents—based on MO and circuit methods—as well as in understanding overall trends and insights.

He said that NIDMS is a secure national digital platform through which accurate and organized analysis of bomb explosion-related incidents across the country can be conducted. This platform will strengthen the process of collecting, standardizing, integrating, and securely sharing IED-related data.

The India vs New Zealand ODI series is set to begin on January 11, and for Indian-origin leg-spinner Adithya Ashok, the three-match contest presents a deeply personal and professional milestone. Born in Vellore and now representing New Zealand, the 23-year-old says he is relishing the prospect of bowling to modern greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Vadodara.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity and challenge to play against those guys and test yourself against people who are considered great—and definitely are great,” Ashok said while responding to an IANS query during a select virtual interaction on Thursday.

“The things they’ve done for the game and what they’ve achieved across their careers have been phenomenal. For me to potentially play against them, to learn and to try and understand and feel greatness up close, is really exciting.”

Ashok was born in Tamil Nadu before moving to Auckland at the age of four. With New Zealand resting several regulars for the 50-over series, the leg-spinner, who has already played two ODIs (Bangladesh) and a T20I (UAE), could get an extended opportunity to showcase his skills against one of the strongest batting line-ups in world cricket.

The tour also carries emotional significance. Ashok remains deeply connected to India and is especially close to his late grandfather. As a tribute, he has a tattoo on his bowling arm featuring superstar Rajinikanth’s iconic line from Padayappa, “En vazhi thani vazhi” (My way is a unique way), a memory from the time the two watched the film together.

During his last visit to India, Ashok trained at the Chennai Super Kings academy in Chennai, attending a two-week spin camp under coach Sriram Krishnamurthy. He hopes those sessions will now pay dividends.

“I’m going in with an opportunity mindset and a growth mindset,” Ashok said. “I want to bring my point of difference to the table, compete hard, and enjoy the challenge. I’m really excited to bowl to Rohit, Kohli and everyone else—they’re all phenomenal players.”

Rather than feeling weighed down by pressure, Ashok says his focus is firmly on learning and improvement.

“If I can come away from this series having learnt new methods, learnt about myself as a cricketer and as a person, and really enjoyed the experience, that puts me in a richer position than anything else,” he said.

“Success would be great, of course. But if you remove expectation and emotion around the outcome, you give yourself the best chance to learn and get better. My focus has always been on how I can improve—because if you’re getting one percent better every day, the results tend to take care of themselves.”

Ashok represented New Zealand at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and counts Shane Warne and Ish Sodhi among his role models. He also credits mentor Tarun Nethula and New Zealand Cricket’s talent identification manager Paul Wiseman for playing a crucial role in his development, particularly during his recovery from a back surgery performed by Rowan Schouten, who has also operated on Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mayank Yadav.

“Having a back injury at a young age was a major setback, especially as a spinner—it’s quite rare,” Ashok admitted. “Tarun and Paul were incredibly important during my return to play. We worked on staying more upright at the crease, moving forward over my front leg, and reducing stress on my lower back.”

The trio also made technical adjustments to his bowling action to avoid lumbar extension and unnecessary strain. Ashok says those changes continue to be a key focus.

He remains in constant touch with his mentors, even while on tour. After New Zealand’s first training session in Vadodara on Thursday, Ashok immediately reached out to Nethula.

“The first thing I did after training was message Tarun about how things went and what I was feeling,” he said. “They’re both very important people in my support network.”

As Ashok prepares to take on cricket’s biggest names in a country where the sport is followed with unmatched passion, the young leg-spinner is embracing the moment, grounded in his roots, and ready to carve his own path in New Zealand colours.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today targeted the United States President Donald Trump, amid the ongoing anti-government protests in the country. During his speech at a public meeting, the Iranian leader called Trump arrogant, and alleged that his hands were stained with the blood of Iranians.

Khamenei asserted that Trump would be overthrown, asking him to focus on the problems in his own country. He further added that protesters were ‘ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy,’ referring to Trump.

Against the massive escalation in anti-government protests in the country, he reaffirmed that the Islamic Republic will not back down in the face of protesters who he called vandals and saboteurs.

The scale of the unrest in Iran is growing as top leaders exchange heated remarks, admonishing each other amid intensified demonstrations across the Middle Eastern country.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump had given a sharp warning to the Iranian government against harming protesters, stating that the United States would intervene if innocent people were killed amid the ongoing protests in the Middle Eastern country. Trump said, “If they do anything bad to these people, we’re going to hit them very hard.” He further said that “the enthusiasm to overturn the regime has been incredible.”

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday met the European Union’s Trade and Economic Security Commissioner, Mr Maroš Šefčovič, in Brussels.

Taking to social media platform X, the minister said, “In continuation of our efforts to secure a mutually beneficial India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), I held high-level talks with the EU Trade and Economic Security Commissioner, Mr Maroš Šefčovič, in Brussels.”

“During this dialogue, we deliberated on key areas of the proposed agreement. We reaffirmed our commitment to a rules-based trading framework and a modern economic partnership that safeguards the interests of farmers and MSMEs, while integrating Indian industries into global supply chains,” he added.

Mr Goyal is in Brussels on a two-day visit, during which he will meet his European counterparts, resolve the final pending issues, and expedite the conclusion of the negotiations.

The Commerce Minister’s visit comes just weeks ahead of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa attending India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guests, prior to the EU–India Summit.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also in Europe on a visit to Paris and Luxembourg.

In Paris, Mr Jaishankar met his French, German and Polish counterparts for the India–Weimar Triangle meeting. “India’s relationship with the EU and with Europe has the most room to grow among all its major relationships,” he said.

Reports suggest that India and the European Union are working towards announcing a Free Trade Agreement during the visit of EU leaders to India for Republic Day later this month.

The teaser of ‘Tu Yaa Main’ is here, and it is not your usual love story teaser. Instead of roses and soft music, it brings danger a big surprise that no one sees coming.

About the ‘Tu Yaa Main’ teaser

‘Tu Yaa Main’ takes viewers into the flashy, fast-moving world of content creators. The teaser introduces two influencers from very different backgrounds. They meet for a collaboration and one thing leads to another.

At first, everything feels fun and exciting. There is travel, laughter, adventure. There is kind of energy that social media creators thrive on. It looks like perfect setting for modern-day date, full of cameras, confidence, charm.

Just when things seem light and playful, teaser flips the mood completely. And the adventure suddenly turns dangerous. Romance gives way to panic. And then comes a big, big shock. A terrifying crocodile enters the picture.

What follows is tense fight for survival. The teaser hints at chaos, fear, raw emotions as two characters struggle to stay alive.

‘Tu Yaa Main’ release date

The film is scheduled to release on February 13, 2026, just in time to shake up Valentine’s Day plans.

Strong team behind the camera

‘Tu Yaa Main’ is directed by Bejoy Nambiar, known for his bold and stylish storytelling. The film is produced by Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma under the Colour Yellow banner, along with Vinod Bhanushali and Kamlesh Bhanushali of Bhanushali Studios Limited.

About the actors

The film stars Adarsh Gourav alongside Shanaya Kapoor. Gourav is widely respected for his strong, grounded performances. Before acting full-time, he trained in Hindustani classical music. He began his career as a child artist and appeared in films like ‘My Name Is Khan’. There he played younger version of Shah Rukh Khan’s character.

He gained major attention with series ‘Made in Heaven’ playing Balram Menon. His international breakthrough came with ‘The White Tiger’. His performance earned global praise and a Golden Globe nomination.

He has also worked in international projects like Apple TV+’s ‘Extrapolations’.

Also Read: Golden Globes 2026: Priyanka Chopra, Julia Roberts, Pamela Anderson and more confirmed as presenters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a three-day visit to Gujarat from January 10 to 12, engaging in a range of religious, cultural, developmental, and diplomatic activities across Somnath, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar, according to a government statement released on Friday.

The visit will commence on the evening of January 10 in Somnath, where the Prime Minister will participate in Omkar Mantra chanting at the revered Somnath Temple, one of India’s 12 Jyotirlingas and a symbol of the nation’s civilisational heritage. A drone show highlighting the temple’s spiritual and cultural significance will follow.

On January 11, Prime Minister Modi will join the Shaurya Yatra, a ceremonial procession honouring the warriors who defended the Somnath Temple through the centuries. He will perform darshan and pooja at the temple and attend the Somnath Swabhiman Parv, an event celebrating national pride and cultural heritage.

Later in the day, in Rajkot, he will inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions, including a trade show and exhibition. He will also address the conference at Marwadi University, focusing on industrial growth and regional development.

The Prime Minister will then proceed to Ahmedabad to inaugurate the final segment of Phase II of the Ahmedabad Metro project, aimed at enhancing urban connectivity.

On January 12, the Prime Minister will meet Germany’s Federal Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, in Ahmedabad, marking a significant milestone in India–Germany relations. The two leaders will visit the Sabarmati Ashram and participate in the International Kite Festival.

Later, at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, they will review the 25-year India–Germany Strategic Partnership, with discussions focusing on cooperation in trade, technology, clean energy, innovation, and people-to-people ties.

The visit reflects India’s rich cultural legacy, development aspirations, and expanding international partnerships, with Gujarat playing a central role in advancing these national and global engagements.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday arrested Sabarimala temple Thanthri (Chief priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru in connection with the Sabarimala gold loot case.

The SIT took Thantri Rajeevaru into custody on Friday morning and questioned him through a team led by ADGP H Venkatesh, who supervises the SIT team. After hours of questioning, the Thantri’s arrest was recorded. Following the arrest, Rajeevaru was taken to the Crime Branch office and will be produced before the Kollam court by evening.

Though Thanthri Rajeevaru’s role had been under suspicion from the early stages of the investigation, the SIT adopted a highly discreet strategy while proceeding against him. The SIT found that Thantri Rajeevaru had close ties with Unnikrishnan Potty, the main accused in the gold theft case. The SIT has concluded that Unnikrishnan Potty’s connection with Thantri Rajeevaru opened the door for his entry into the Sabarimala temple.

The SIT believes that Thanthri Rajeevaru, a salaried employee of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), falls under the purview of anti-corruption laws.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) by consolidating the two charge sheets earlier submitted by the SIT into a single case. The ECIR has been filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended warm greetings to the global Indian community on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) and said the Indian diaspora continues to serve as a powerful bridge between India and the world.

He further underlined that the government has taken numerous steps to bring the diaspora even closer to India.

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote: “Warm greetings on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. The Indian diaspora remains a powerful bridge between India and the world. They have enriched societies wherever they went and, at the same time, stayed connected to their roots. I often say that our diaspora is our Rashtradoots, who have popularised the culture of India globally. Our Government has taken numerous steps to bring our diaspora even closer to India.”

PBD has been celebrated on 9 January every year since 2003 to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community in the development of India. January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest Pravasi, returned to India from South Africa, led India’s freedom struggle and changed the lives of Indians forever.

Since 2015, its format has been revised to celebrate the PBD once every two years and to hold theme-based PBD Conferences during the intervening period with participation from overseas diaspora experts, policy makers and stakeholders.

These conventions provide a platform to the overseas Indian community to engage with the government and people of the land of their ancestors for mutually beneficial activities. These conventions are also very useful in networking among the overseas Indian community residing in various parts of the world and enable them to share their experiences in various fields.