Asian markets react to yen support signals and reciprocal tariffs altering trade flows and investor sentiment.
Ayen appreciation after official signals to support the currency pressured Japanese exporter equities, while reciprocal tariff measures-100% and 25% import duties and a recent Canadian tariff adjustment on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for lower duties on Canadian products-demonstrate use of import taxes and concessions as tools in trade negotiation affecting market access and investor sentiment.

GST enforcement officer caught accepting 3.5 lakh bribe to secure release of seized lorries.
VACB arrested a GST enforcement officer after a sting operation caught him accepting Rs 3.5 lakh to release two lorries seized with scrap. The officer had detained the vehicles, inspected documents the consignor says were valid, demanded an excessive fine and a bribe to "manage" the matter, arranged a cash handover, and was apprehended following the complainant's report and a laid trap.

Immigration crackdown leads to disputed shooting and lawsuit to preserve evidence after federal agents limited local access.
State officials allege federal agents blocked state investigators from the shooting scene and withheld access to evidence after the death of Alex Pretti; state and county officials filed suit seeking preservation and inspection of materials, and a federal judge ordered that evidence not be destroyed or altered pending further proceedings to secure chain-of-custody and allow state participation in the fact-gathering process.

Canada-China trade relations see targeted tariff adjustments and EV import caps; Canada denies pursuing a free trade deal with China.
Canada will not pursue a free trade agreement with China and instead implemented targeted tariff adjustments to address recent retaliatory measures, notably rescinding a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for a managed import regime (initial cap of 49,000 EVs at a 6.1% tariff rising over five years) and negotiated lower tariffs on certain Canadian agricultural exports; these steps were portrayed as corrective actions consistent with commitments under the regional trade agreement that limit pursuing FTAs with non-market economies without prior notification.

Monks from 40 countries to be honoured guests at Republic Day parade promoting peace and coexistence.
Monks and nuns from 40 countries who attended a two-day Global Buddhist Summit in Delhi will be honoured guests at the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, using a national ceremony to highlight themes of collective wisdom, mutual coexistence, and peaceful resolution of conflicts. The summit, held with culture ministry collaboration, brought over 800 delegates including about 200 overseas participants and roughly 100 Sangha representatives, and was presented as an expression of a national message addressing global inequalities and ecological concerns.

Homeland security funding: Democrats oppose DHS bill over ICE shootings and demand policy reforms, raising shutdown risk.
Senate Democrats refuse to support the Department of Homeland Security appropriations package following fatal shootings by immigration agents, conditioning their votes on reforms including warrants for immigration arrests, strengthened training and identification for agents, limiting Border Patrol interior assistance to ICE, and enhanced accountability; the DHS portion was sent as part of a six-bill House package, complicating removal or amendment and raising the risk of a partial government funding lapse.

Nepal fake rescue insurance scam leads to arrests of tour operators accused of staging evacuations to defraud insurers.
Six senior officials of Nepal tour operators and mountain rescue agencies were arrested after a Central Investigation Bureau probe found staged helicopter evacuations and collusion among guides, helicopter operators and medical facilities that produced 317 alleged fake rescues out of 2,320 operations and generated nearly USD 20 million in fraudulent insurance claims; the suspects face investigations for organised crime, criminal profit, money laundering and offences against the national interest.

Ex-Punjab Police officer Inderjit Singh Sidhu honoured for a sustained personal cleanliness mission collecting roadside litter daily.
Retired Punjab Police officer Inderjit Singh Sidhu received the Padma Shri for a sustained personal cleanliness mission in Chandigarh involving daily collection of roadside litter, use of borrowed sanitary carts to transport waste to designated bins, and belief in personal responsibility as the basis for public cleanliness.

IndiGo cancels flights to Tbilisi, Almaty, Tashkent and Baku through Jan 28 due to Iran-region safety concerns.
IndiGo suspended services to Tbilisi, Almaty, Tashkent and Baku for January 26-28, explaining that safety is its highest priority and that it is avoiding Iranian airspace due to the prevailing situation. The airline cited that alternative routes would significantly lengthen flights and increase fuel burn, and named affected city pairs including Delhi-Tbilisi and Mumbai-Almaty as examples of cancelled services.

India-EU summit to announce a near final free trade agreement, a strategic defence partnership, and mobility framework.
The India EU summit is positioned to announce conclusion of a free trade agreement and to firm up a strategic defence partnership plus a mobility framework, together aiming to deliver market access, strengthen trade in goods and services, and establish regulatory and procedural mechanisms that enhance mutual resilience and cooperation on security, clean transition and people to people exchanges.

Minneapolis shooting videos challenge official claims that agents fired defensively after an armed assault during a protest.
Bystander videos show Border Patrol agents wrestling with and striking protester Alex Pretti before multiple agents fired several shots that killed him; the footage does not clearly show Pretti brandishing a weapon during the scuffle, though a licensed concealed 9 mm handgun was later found on his person, and officials' claims of defensive shooting after violent resistance conflict with the visual record and do not identify who fired the first shot.

Andhra Pradesh power reforms strengthened DISCOM finances and improved national ratings while planning phased tariff cuts.
Andhra Pradesh implemented targeted reforms-reducing technical and commercial losses, improving billing and collection efficiency, and ensuring timely subsidy release-to strengthen DISCOM finances and secure improved national-level ratings, with a concurrent plan to reduce tariffs by Rs 1.19 per unit over three years.

India's economy advancing toward third-largest status; GST reforms and four Labour Codes aim to strengthen markets and workers.
India is advancing toward becoming the third-largest economy through large-scale infrastructure investment and policies of self-reliance and indigenous capability. The address highlights the Goods and Services Tax as the pivotal reform for economic integration under the "One Nation, One Market" framework and notes recent steps to improve GST effectiveness. It also stresses the four Labour Codes as reforms intended to benefit workers and accelerate enterprise development.

Andy Burnham blocked from standing in upcoming parliamentary by-election by Labour NEC to avoid triggering a mayoral by-election.
The National Executive Committee refused the Manchester mayor permission to stand as Labour's candidate in an upcoming parliamentary by-election to avoid the mayor having to resign and thus triggering a separate mayoral by-election, which the NEC said would impose a substantial and disproportionate burden on party campaign resources and disrupt the party's broader electoral strategy.

Second-hand car sale fraud using forged documents leads to arrest; probe into wider forgery network continues.
The sale of an SUV involved fabricated ownership and loan-clearance documents, forged identity papers, doctored bank no-objection certificates, and manipulated online records to conceal an outstanding bank loan; these acts induced a retired car dealer to purchase and transfer the vehicle, producing criminal proceedings against him and prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest and custodial remand of an accused while co-accused remain absconding as police probe the wider forgery and fraud network.

India-EU summit set to conclude a free trade agreement and establish defence and professional mobility frameworks.
Negotiations are nearing conclusion on a free trade agreement to create an integrated India-EU market, alongside parallel negotiations on a strategic defence partnership and a framework for mobility of Indian professionals, with additional initiatives intended to broaden bilateral ties and mechanisms to address external economic and security policy disruptions.

Legislative assembly all-party meeting ahead of Budget Session promotes cross-party participation and fosters meaningful discussion on public issues.
Rajasthan Assembly will convene an all-party meeting before the Budget Session commencing January 28 to bring together the Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, party whips, and selected MLAs to ensure inclusive participation in House proceedings and facilitate advance consultation on matters of public interest.

Living root bridges and traditional conservation practices receive national recognition and UNESCO nomination momentum for preservation.
National recognition via a civilian award has highlighted the indigenous practice of training Ficus elastica aerial roots to create durable living root bridges, emphasizing community custodianship, sustainable bio engineering, and cultural identity. The bridges, concentrated in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, are on the UNESCO Tentative List, and recent official endorsements and visits reinforce momentum toward heritage protection, conservation measures, and policies supporting community led maintenance and sustainable tourism.

India promotes peace globally while reinforcing defence readiness, advancing women's empowerment and inclusive economic reforms.
The address asserts India as a messenger of peace backed by strengthened defence capability-citing precision strikes that targeted terror infrastructure-as well as a national strategy prioritising women's empowerment, poverty alleviation through targeted schemes, constitutional accessibility in all Eighth Schedule languages, deregulatory governance reforms, and economic transformation driven by GST, structural reforms, and a commitment to self-reliance.

Bamboo projects launch to strengthen artisan clusters, modernise products, link markets and promote engineered bamboo exports.
Two projects aim to expand bamboo-based economic activity in the northeast: one to strengthen traditional artisan clusters by enhancing market access, modernising products, and linking them with digital and retail ecosystems through MoUs with private partners; the other to promote engineered bamboo products via cluster strengthening and export facilitation.