Month: January 2026

Pakistan Railways is facing increasing locomotive failures due to its ageing fleet, with over 63 per cent of engines more than 20 years old, Pak officials told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, as reported by Dawn. According to the report, the disclosures highlight long-standing structural and operational problems plaguing the country’s railway system.

According to Dawn, officials from the Railways Ministry admitted that the deteriorating condition of rolling stock has put sustained pressure on operations, leading to frequent breakdowns and service disruptions. While the ministry outlined corrective measures including improved maintenance regimes, modernisation initiatives and enhanced funding, the scale of the problem remains significant, raising questions about execution and timelines.

As mentioned in the report, the committee was informed of plans to overhaul and modernise diesel-electric locomotives, a step officials claim will help stabilise services. However, Dawn noted that such assurances have been made repeatedly in the past, even as passenger confidence in Pakistan Railways continues to erode due to delays, cancellations and poor onboard conditions.

On passenger coaches, the ministry told lawmakers that a shortage faced since June 2025 has “largely been overcome” through workshop efficiency and restoration of under-repair coaches. Coach availability has reportedly increased from 1,016 in September 2025 to 1,105, marginally above the current requirement of 1,100, with demand expected to rise to 1,150 by June 2026. Yet, as Dawn highlighted, the narrow surplus leaves little buffer for future disruptions.

Officials also cited record passenger earnings of Rs 48.832 billion in FY2024-25, with a 7 per cent increase in the first half of the current fiscal year. Critics argue that higher earnings have not translated into visible service improvements, pointing instead to rising fares amid declining quality.

The meeting, chaired by Ramesh Lal, also reviewed persistent complaints about non-functional air-conditioning units. Officials conceded that failures have increased due to overaged AC systems, though replacements are “underway”.

The Secretary of Pakistan Railways briefed the committee on restructuring and outsourcing plans, prompting the formation of a sub-committee to examine the proposals. As reported by Dawn, without decisive reforms and sustained investment, Pakistan Railways risks remaining trapped in a cycle of ageing assets, temporary fixes and chronic inefficiency, at the cost of passengers and public trust. (ANI)

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan turned up at a Mumbai polling booth on Thursday evening to exercise his right to vote in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

After casting his vote, he quickly posed for the paps and showed his inked finger, of course, with a dash of his swag.

Earlier, in the morning, his father and veteran screenwriter Salim Khan was spotted arriving at a polling booth to cast his vote, setting an inspiring example of responsible citizenship by exercising his democratic right despite his old age.

Polling is underway across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. According to the State Election Commission, around 3.48 crore voters are eligible to vote.

A total of 15,908 candidates are contesting for 2,869 seats across 893 wards, with 39,092 polling centres set up for smooth voting.

Polling began at 7:30 am and will continue until 5:30 pm, while vote counting will take place on January 16.

Voting in Maharashtra’s municipal corporation elections recorded a moderate turnout of 29.22 per cent across all 29 municipal corporations till 1:30 pm, according to reports from the Maharashtra State Election Commission. (ANI)

European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will pay a three-day State Visit to India from January 25 to 27 and will be Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day celebrations.

During the visit, the leaders will also co-chair the 16th India-EU Summit to be held on January 27.

They will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold restricted and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

An India-EU Business Forum is also expected to be organised on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit.

India and the European Union have been strategic partners since 2004. The 15th India-EU Summit was held virtually on July 15, 2020. Bilateral ties have expanded and deepened across a wide range of areas, particularly following the historic visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February this year, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release.

The release said that the participation of EU leaders as Chief Guests at the 77th Republic Day and the 16th India-EU Summit will further deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas of mutual interest.

President Costa and President von der Leyen are visiting India on invitation of PM Modi.

The visit of two leaders comes amid negotiations between India and the European Union for a Free Trade Agreement, which are at an advanced stage.

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said Thursday that as many as 20 out of 24 chapters under the ambitious India-EU FTA have been finalised, with a few issues remaining under ongoing negotiations.

He said both parties are “virtually engaged on a day-to-day basis”, and are trying to see if we can meet the timeline before the leaders can meet, he said.

.”We have closed 20 out of 24 chapters completely, there are few issues which are still ongoing negotiations, which we are virtually engaged on a day-to-day basis, and we are trying to see if we can meet the timeline before our leaders can meet,” he said.

Agrawal said that both parties are trying to see that “we can meet that (January deadline) because that’s a good occasion when our leaders are meeting, but we can only make efforts.” “As I told you, coming near is not good enough,” he said, however, adding a caveat.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, concluded a two-day visit to Brussels earlier this month, marking a significant step forward in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. (ANI)

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday raised concerns about the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections 2026, citing issues with voter lists, removable ink, and old EVM machines.

He alleged that the Election Commission is not doing enough to address these problems and accused the government of trying to manipulate the electoral process.

“There are many places from where complaints are coming in. Some people’s names are missing from the voter list. For the first time, we are experiencing that the ink being applied can now be cleaned off. These people are creating all this mess, and that’s why I said, what does the Election Commission or the Commissioner do? Old EVM machines have been installedm” said Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray’s comments come amid reports of EVM malfunctions, voter list confusion, and allegations of vote buying in various parts of Mumbai and other cities.

The opposition has demanded an investigation into these irregularities, while the State Election Commission has assured that it is taking steps to ensure a fair voting process.

He’s also criticised the government’s proposal for One Nation One Election, suggesting it’s a plot to commit fraud and seize control of the country. Thackeray has demanded the suspension of the State Election Commissioner and urged citizens to protest against these alleged irregularities.

“There is so much greed in these people to gain power; I have never seen such a shameless government. We will protest now, all the people will protest… That’s why they want One Nation One Election, so that they can commit fraud and irregularities across the entire nation at the same time, and seize control of the entire country… So, all of this is a blatant murder of democracy,” added Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Polling for the civic body elections began at 7:30 am on Thursday across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra and will continue until 5:30 pm. According to the Maharashtra State Election Commission, voter turnout stood at 29.22 per cent till 1:30 pm, following a sluggish start earlier in the day.

The elections are being held after an intense campaign and are considered crucial for major urban centres, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Vote counting is scheduled for Friday, January 16. (ANI)

A tragic rail disaster unfolded on Wednesday, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, north-eastern Thailand, when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train, causing it to derail and resulting in a significant number of deaths and injuries.

The accident occurred at approximately 9:05 a.m. local time in Ban Thanon Khot on Wednesday, Sikhio district, often locally referred to as Korat, when a large launching gantry crane used in building an elevated section of the high-speed rail project suddenly fell onto the Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani passenger train No. 21 as it passed beneath ongoing construction work, reported Bangkok Post.

Initial reports from Thai authorities confirmed that at least 32 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the collision, with many trapped inside the wreckage and rescue efforts subsequently focused on extrication and medical treatment. Around 64 to 66 passengers were reported injured, and three were still missing according to the latest provincial public health updates.

Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud crash and explosions as the crane’s heavy steel structure and concrete load struck the train’s middle carriages, causing two cars to be severely damaged and one to catch fire. Smoke was seen rising from the site as rescue workers battled difficult conditions to reach and evacuate survivors, reported Bangkok Post.

The train was traveling at estimated speeds of around 120 km/h (75 mph) when the structure collapsed. Many of the casualties were concentrated in the second carriage, which was hit most directly and subsequently caught fire, trapping passengers inside before rescue teams could fully access the compartment.

The high-speed rail line under construction is part of a major Thai-Chinese infrastructure project planned to eventually link Bangkok with Kunming in China via Laos. The segment where the accident occurred is being built by Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD), a large Thai contractor, which has expressed regret and pledged compensation to the families of victims.

Thai officials, including Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the collapse and stressed that accountability and safety protocols will be rigorously reviewed. The State Railway of Thailand also announced that several services along the affected route were disrupted, with rerouting and cancellations in place as emergency operations continue.

The accident drew international condolences, including from the Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA). India’s foreign ministry expressed its deep condolences and sympathy for the lives lost and extended support and best wishes for the recovery of those injured in the tragic incident. Indian officials reaffirmed their solidarity with Thailand and underscored the importance of cooperative disaster assistance in times of such calamity.

In a post on X, Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, India, wrote, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and injuries in the train accident in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on January 14, 2026. Our heartfelt condolences to the people and the Government of Thailand during this hour of grief. We extend our deepest sympathies to the affected families and wish a swift recovery to all those injured.”

As investigations continue and rescue operations wind down, the focus is shifting toward structural safety reviews and strengthening regulatory oversight for large-scale infrastructure projects across Thailand to prevent similar tragedies in the future.(ANI)

Kriti Sanon’s recent post on social media is dedicated to her younger sister Nupur Sanon, who recently tied the knot with singer Stebin Ben in Udaipur.

Taking to Instagram, Kriti penned a beautiful note for her “Jaan”, saying she her “heart is so full” seeing Nupur “so happy.”

“Words can never be enough to explain what I’m feeling.. still hasn’t sunk in..My little one is married! From holding you in my arms for the first time when I was 5, to now holding your chaadar and seeing you all dressed up as the prettiest bride I’ve ever seen My heart is so full seeing you so happy, in love and beginning the next and the most beautiful chapter of your life with the Best life partner we could ever ask for you.. .”

She also extended her best wishes to Stebin, calling him her “brother.”

“@stebinben you’ve been a part of our family for more than 5yrs now and our bond has strengthened with each passing year.. I love you Stebu and I know I’ve gained a brother and a friend for life who’s always gonna be there for me. Seeing you two tie the knot and say your vows has been one of the most emotionally beautiful moments of my life! What precious memories,” Kriti added.

“Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and love. She is my JAAN and I know she’s yours too.. for life!

I’m never really “Giving her away”, so Welcome to the Sanon family P.S. @nupursanon even though I know you’re gonna be 20min away and will keep coming home, the house really feels empty without your laughter , but I’m happy you’ll be spreading joy in 2 houses now.. Ufff.. Love you both to the moon & back,” she beamed with happiness.

Kriti also shared a couple of pictures from Nupur and Stebin’s wedding festivities. One that truly stole our attention was close up of Kriti’s mehendi. With her mehendi, Kriti gave a beautiful tribute to sisterhood.

A closer look reveals a beautifully crafted mehendi featuring a childhood picture of Kriti and Nupur woven into the design.

Notably, Kriti made a powerful statement at the wedding by lifting thephoolon ki chadar, which is usually carried by a sister’s brothers.

And that moment undoubtedly left Nupur emotional.

In a comment, she wrote, “Tisssssues You’re my whole world Kritsu…my lifeline. The phoolon ki chaadar was super heavy and they told you in front of me that you won’t be able to hold it, but you saw me that moment and you knew if there was one person who HAD to hold it, it was you. My sister, my brother, my rock, my chhoti mom, my everything And I was the happiest to see you hold it! I love her more than I love you @stebinben always know that. “

Kriti’s post has garnered many likes and comments. Actors like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Ayushmann Khurrana sent best wishes to the entire Sanon family.

“Congratulations dear Kriti and the family…Love and Blessings,” Kareena commented.

After having grand wedding festivities in Udaipur, Nupur and Stebin held a wedding reception for their friends and colleagues in the Bollywood in Mumbai on Tuesday. The event was attended by Salman Khan, Disha Patani, Mouni Roy, Rakul Preet Singh, Jackky Bhagnani, Ankita Lokhande, Hina Khan, and Isha Malviya, among others. (ANI)

The United States has made its first sale of Venezuelan oil valued at USD 500 million, according to the Donald Trump administration, as reported by the New York-based news outlet Semafor.

The development comes following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the former leader of the South American country 11 days ago. Following this, Trump said that US is taking control of Venezuela’s oil reserves and recruit American companies to invest billions of dollars to refurbish the country’s gutted oil industry, CNN had reported,.

Trump had, on January 9 (local time) signed an executive order providing details on how his administration plans to block US courts or creditors from seizing any revenue that the US collects from Venezuelan oil and holds in American Treasury accounts.

According to the Semafor report, revenue from the oil sales is currently being held in bank accounts controlled by the US government, as indicated in Friday’s order, according to the administration official. The main account, according to a second senior administration official, is located in Qatar.

“President Trump brokered a historic energy deal with Venezuela, immediately following the arrest of narcoterrorist Nicolas Maduro, that will benefit the American and Venezuelan people,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement.

“President Trump’s team is facilitating positive, ongoing discussions with oil companies that are ready and willing to make unprecedented investments to restore Venezuela’s oil infrastructure,” she continued.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US government would oversee the sale of the oil and proceeds would be deposited into accounts controlled by Washington and Fox News has reported that additional sales are expected in the coming days and weeks.

As per a CNN report Venezuela is sitting on a massive 303 billion barrels worth of crude — about a fifth of the world’s global reserves, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Trump previously said he plans to mobilize major U.S. oil companies to invest billions in fixing Venezuela’s broken oil infrastructure.

We are going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken oil infrastructure and start making money for the country,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, US President Trump said on Wednesday (local time) that he had a “long call” with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez.

In a Truth Social post Trump said “This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!” he added.

Rodriguez described the call as “long, productive and courteous” and said they discussed a bilateral agenda aimed at benefiting both countries.

Rodriguez, who assumed the acting presidency after the January 3 capture of Maduro by US forces, described the call as conducted “within a framework of mutual respect,” in which a bilateral work agenda for the benefit of both nations was addressed, according to her social media posts following the discussion.

“I held a long and courteous telephone conversation with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, conducted within a framework of mutual respect, in which we addressed a bilateral work agenda for the benefit of our peoples, as well as pending matters between our governments,” Rodriguez said in a post on X.

After Maduro’s capture, Trump said Washington would “run” Venezuela during a transition and needs “total access… to the oil and to other things in their country.” (ANI)

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi alleged attempts to disturb communal harmony in Hyderabad, claiming that certain elements linked to the “Sangh Parivar” were trying to engineer tensions through incidents that largely occur at night and over what he described as “irrelevant issues.”

Speaking to ANI here, Owaisi said, “If you see this pattern of these forces who belong to the Sangh Parivar, who are trying to create a communal disturbance in Hyderabad, a majority of the incidents are happening at night, and it is happening on an issue which has no relevance at all. They are trying to create a communal controversy.” He added that conflicting versions of the event were being floated, including claims of posters being thrown or minor provocation being exaggerated.

Raising concerns over policing, Owaisi questioned the role of local authorities despite the city’s extensive surveillance infrastructure. “My concern is what the local police are doing over there? You have CCTV cameras, and Hyderabad is supposed to have one of the best CCTV camera facial technologies. These incidents should not happen, especially at that particular place,” he said.

The AIMIM chief pointed out that the locality in question has a history of communal violence dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. “My party and I have personally done so much to ensure that communal differences are not there, and even the local community has come forward and cooperated with me but there are some certain forces belonging to a political party which does not want to see peace being strengthened or being prevailed in Hyderabad,” he said.

“It is high time that the local police should look into it, and my request to the people of that area and the people of Hyderabad is that we don’t require such incidents at all. We require Hyderabad to be peaceful so that Hyderabad progresses,” he said, while appealing for restraint.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad police on Thursday registered a case in connection with vandalism at Puranapul temple, after 10 people, including police personnel, were injured during a protest triggered by the alleged news of a man vandalising the temple. (ANI)

Renowned devotional singer Anup Jalota on Thursday stepped out to fulfil his voting duty in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

He showed off his inked finger after casting a vote.

“Mumbai ko aur sundar banayenge, chamkayenge.., ” he said while asking the people to fulfil their responsibility and actively participate in the elections.

Director and producer Zoya Akhtar also cast her vote in Mumbai.

Many other celebrities, including Suniel Shetty, singer and music composer Vishal Dadlani, noted lyricist Gulzar, and John Abraham, also turned up to fulfil their voting duties.

Polling across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra began early this morning. The elections are taking place after an intense campaign and are seen as crucial for major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena are contesting the civic elections as allies under the Mahayuti banner, except in Pune.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has chosen to fight independently in most corporations. In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, both NCP factions have come together under a joint manifesto.

According to the State Election Commission, a total of 3.48 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots to decide the fate of 15,908 candidates contesting 2,869 seats across 893 wards in 29 municipal corporations. A total of 39,092 polling centres have been set up across the state.

Polling began at 7:30 am today and is set to continue until 5:30 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place tomorrow. (ANI)

India’s export market in recent months has shown a clear post-tariff rebalancing, with the country reducing its dependence on the United States and expanding its presence across other geographies, highlighted a report by Elara Securities.

According to the report, India’s export market composition reflects a strategic shift away from excessive reliance on the US towards greater geographic diversification across West Asia, Asia and select emerging markets.

It stated “India’s export market composition also reflects a clear post-tariff rebalancing, away from excessive dependence on the US toward greater geographic diversification across West Asia, Asia and select emerging markets”.

The share of the US in India’s exports declined from 22.5 per cent in the pre-tariff period to 17.8 per cent in the post-tariff phase. In contrast, markets such as the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Hong Kong recorded notable gains, indicating effective trade redirection and market substitution by Indian exporters.

The report mentioned that traditional European trading partners broadly maintained stable shares. Marginal gains in countries like Germany, Italy and Spain helped offset the moderation seen in the Netherlands and the UK, the report noted.

Elara Securities said this trend highlights the resilience of India’s export ecosystem despite global uncertainties and tariff-related challenges.

The report expects export resilience to continue through FY27E. Merchandise exports are projected to grow by 4.5-5 per cent in FY27E, compared to an estimated growth of 2 per cent in FY26E.

Services exports are also expected to remain resilient, supported by the ongoing boom in GCC economies, with growth estimated at 12-13 per cent.

India’s merchandise exports have shown resilience despite tariff headwinds and global demand volatility.

The report mentioned that this performance has been supported by sustained strength in non-tariffed and higher value-added sectors. Electronics, pharmaceuticals, organic chemicals and engineering goods continue to anchor export performance, with their combined share rising steadily.

On a year-to-date basis, electronics exports expanded sharply by 37.3 per cent year-on-year. The report said this reflects improved competitiveness and deeper supply-chain integration.

Notably, tariff-sensitive sectors such as marine products have also shown a recovery in export share, suggesting partial absorption of tariff pressures by exporters.

Overall, the report indicated that India’s exports are adapting to a changing global trade environment through diversification, value addition and sectoral strength, helping sustain growth momentum despite external challenges. (ANI)