Month: January 2026

Nationalist Congress Party Chief, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday, said that there is “nothing different” about his party contesting the polls separately from the Mahayuti alliance, as the parties have decided to fight in such a way to “empower and support” their respective workers.

According to Pawar, allying with Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction for the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad election could lead to the vote share being consolidated, which would itself help them.

He recalled how the NCP and Congress allied for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections but contested the local body elections separately, he said that a similar situation was with the BJP and Shiv Sena too.

“Since I’ve been in politics, in all the elections we’ve fought since 1999, we had an alliance with the Congress. We were working together in the Lok Sabha, in Parliament, and fighting elections together. We were fighting on our respective symbols. The same thing happened in the Assembly elections. But in local body elections, to support and empower our respective party workers, we always fought against each other,” Pawar told ANI in an exclusive interview.

“The same thing happened with the BJP and Shiv Sena. In the last 2017 elections in Mumbai and Thane; they were fighting against each other. So, there’s no need to think that something very different is happening here,” he added.

However, Pawar has also affirmed that the three parties contesting separately, BJP, NCP, and Shiv, against each other in local body polls have affirmed that the local body polls will not impact the functioning of the Mahrashtra state government, even after results are declared on January 16.

When asked about the coming together of estranged family members for the local elections, Pawar expressed happiness over the situation, including the Thackeray’s in Mumbai, and the Pawars in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. He said that it is due to the demands of the party workers did the two parties decide to contest together, which he hopes would led to less of a divide on their vote bases.

“I see it in a good light, this is very good. It is because of the karyakartas we had decided to fight elections together (the two NCP factions), because if we fight elections separately then the votes will be divided, that will not happen. The karyakartas want win elections, we fought the state and Lok Sabha elections. After they had a proposal, our party’s leaders sat together, at first no common ground was reached,” he said.

Despite some setbacks before, Pawar said that some fake news was also spread which did not help the alliance, “But later on, some wrong news was spread, that Ajit Pawar is demanding only to fight with the clock symbol, what is the reason to say this? I never said this.”

“When Congress used to fight, when BJP, Shiv Sena fought alone then they have their own symbol,” he added.

However, Pawar also expressed that the Mahayuti partner, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena had not approached him for the alliance at first, and when they did, it was too late as all the nomination forms had already been filled.

“The talks started when the my karyakartas told us, and their karyakartas told them, that it will be better if we do this (alliance with other NCP faction). We tried to take Shiv Sena in alliance, they didn’t come to us. They came later, but by that time the time was up, forms had been filled,” he said.

When asked about the future of the NCP-NCP alliance, Ajit Pawar said that they have “not thought about this” and are instead focusing on the polling which is set to happen two days later on January 15.

“We have not thought anything about this, because today is last day of campaigning, first we will do that, discuss on how voting can happen properly, so we have not thought of this (a long term alliance).”

He said for such a decision, the leaders of both sides have to be taken into confidence too, and not just workers, “Not just karyakartas, we need to talk to other leaders too because the party is functioning with them, and they have to talk with their leaders.”

The polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad, is scheduled for January 15. The vote counting will take place on January 16. (ANI)

Amid impending action against a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP for allegedly using an e-cigarette in Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ghulam Ali Khatana said that an ethics committee was looking into the matter and action would be taken.

“Parliament is the country’s largest panchayat. Our country is a cultural country, a country with ‘tehzeeb’. Parliament has an Ethics Committee that is investigating this matter. Action will definitely be taken in this,” Khatana told ANI.

This comes after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said the investigation into the complaint against a TMC MP for allegedly using an e-cigarette in the House is being completed and asserted that it is the responsibility of all members to uphold the dignity of the House.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the upcoming Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, Birla also cautioned members that action would be taken if the dignity of the House is not maintained.

“The process of investigation is in the direction of being completed. As soon as the investigation process is completed, the action plan will be made and will go to the committee, and the process will be completed. It will not be possible for anyone to spoil the dignity of the House. It is a responsibility,” he said.

“You will have to maintain decorum inside the House, and the one who does not maintain decorum will be punished under the rules and procedures of the Parliament. Action will be taken. Action will be taken as per the rules,” he added.

The Speaker was answering a query on the probe into the E-cigarette complaint against a TMC MP, made during the winter session of Parliament by BJP MP Anurag Thakur.

Earlier, Anurag Thakur complained that a TMC MP had been smoking an E-cigarette in the House in violation of rules.

He had said E-cigarettes have been banned in the country and asked if they have been allowed in the House. The Speaker had responded firmly, saying that no rule allows any MP to smoke inside the house.

“If such an incident is brought to my notice with clarity, appropriate action will follow,” Birla said.

He promised to look into the incident after Anurag Thakur submitted a written complaint about the alleged smoking incident to the Speaker. (ANI)

Basking in bridal glow, Nupur Sanon on Monday shared several pictures with her husband Stebin Ben from their traditional Hindu wedding ceremony in Udaipur.

Both Stebin and Nupur opted for ace designer Manish Malhotra’s ensembles. Look at how the two looked as the bride and groom.

Here are some of the pictures. Credits: Nupur’s Instagram.

This picture of Nupur walking down the aisle seems quite priceless.

Here you can see Nupur and Stebin posing with their immediate family members. Such a fam-jam moment.

The moment when they performed their saat pheras in this breathtaking setting, followed by a spectacular five-minute fireworks display that lit up the Udaipur sky.

Truly a Kodak moment! The smiles on their faces reflect the joy they share as they solemnise their relationship.

In this picture, Nupur’s elder sister and popular actress Kriti Sanon undoubtedly steal attention. She made a powerful statement by lifting the phoolon ki chadar, which is usually carried by sister’s brothers.

Giving fans a sneak peek into her wedding ceremony, Nupur penned a beautiful caption. She called Stebin her “Sukoon” in the post.

” Tu mere dil ka sukun. Tu aaj ka Shukra. 11.01.2026,” she captioned the post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTaSbBUjJZd/?hl=en&img_index=1

Kriti reacted to the post with a nazar emoji.

The wedding was attended by several Bollywood and television celebrities, including Dinesh Vijan, Raghav Sharma, Varun Sharma, Mouni Roy, Rohit Dhawan, Disha Patani, Manish Malhotra, Tejasswi Prakash, Karan Kundrra, among others, bringing star power to the celebration.

They are now all set to host a wedding reception for B-towners in Mumbai. (ANI)

The Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called on specialists in the field of communications to target the state’s infrastructure so that the world can establish contact with the protesters.

As protests have rolled on to another week, Pahlavi has emerged as a vocal supporter of the demonstrators, backing what he describes as a nationwide movement against the Islamic Republic. He compared the protesters to Persian mythological character Kaveh.

Kaveh is known for his resistance against Zahak in Iran. Zahaa is a personification of evil in Iranian mythology. In modern times, Kaveh is sometimes invoked for political aims.

“My compatriots, greetings to all of you who, like Kaveh, stand against Zahhak and fight. The regime, through severe repression, killing, and cutting off communications, is trying to instill fear and terror in you, and to make you despair of continuing the movement and struggle. But know that because of your steadfastness and fight, thousands of military and security forces have not gone to work so as not to participate in the repression,” he said.

“And a special message to specialists in the field of internet and communications: target the regime’s information infrastructure so that the connection of our compatriots with the world can be re-established,” he added.

Earlier in the day, in an interview to CBS News, Pahlavi called on US President Donald Trump to take action in Iran, as protesters continue to throng the streets despite lethal crackdown.

Pahlavi said, “We need action to be taken. The best way to ensure that there will be less people killed in Iran is to intervene sooner, so this regime finally collapses and puts an end to all the problems that we are facing.”

Pahlavi has lived in exile since his father, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current clerical regime to power.

He said he has communicated with the Trump administration, but did not disclose details from their conversations. He also said the Iran’s recent outreach to the administration is an attempt to fizzle out the nationwide protests that threaten the rule of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as per CBS News. (ANI)

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday rejected India’s claim to the Shaksgam Valley in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The territory you mentioned belongs to China. It’s fully justified for China to conduct infrastructure construction on its own territory,” Mao said when asked about border issues and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The spokesperson further said that China and Pakistan had signed a boundary agreement in the 1960s and demarcated borders between the two countries and that the settlement was an exercise of the rights of two sovereign states.

According to a Global Times report, the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson further said the CPEC is an economic cooperation project intended to promote local economic and social development and improve people’s livelihoods. Mao stressed that the border agreement between China and Pakistan, and the CPEC do not affect China’s position on the Kashmir issue, adding that China’s position on this matter has not changed.

The Shaksgam Valley, borders Xinjiang Provinceof the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the north, the Northern Areas of POJK to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east.

Earlier on January 9, India firmly rejected China’s infrastructure buildup through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the Shaksgam Valley, terming it “illegal and invalid”, while noting that the region is an “integral and inalienable part” of India.

During a weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has never recognised the “so-called” China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963 or the “so-called” CPEC.

“Shaksgam Valley is an Indian territory. We have never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement of 1963. We have consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid. We do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor either, which passes through Indian territory, which is under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan,” Jaiswal said.

He reaffirmed that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India, noting that New Delhi has “consistently protested” to the Chinese side on the matter and has further reserved the right to safeguard its interests.

“The entire UTs of J&K and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India. This has been clearly conveyed to the Chinese and Pakistani authorities several times. We have consistently protested with the Chinese side for its attempts to alter the ground reality in the Shaksgam Valley. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests,” the MEA Spokesperson added. (ANI)

Singer and actor Prashant Tamang’s wife Martha Aley and their younger daughter paid him their last tearful respects on Monday.

The mortal remains of singer-actor, who passed away in Delhi, were brought to the Bagdogra airport in Siliguri on Monday morning.

His wife, Martha Aley, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from fans and well-wishers around the world following Tamang’s death.

“Thank you to everyone. I’ve been receiving calls from all over the world. People that I know, people that I don’t know, I’ve been getting flowers. People are standing outside my house, people have come to the hospital to see him for the last time,” she spoke to ANI.

Addressing speculation over his sudden demise, Martha Aley clarified that there was no suspicious circumstance involved.”It was a natural death. He was in his sleep when he left us. I was right beside him at that time,” she said.

BJP MP Raju Bista from Darjeeling and many other prominent figures from the entertainment community were present to pay final respects to the late singer.

Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Raju Bista expressed grief over the sudden passing of Tamang.

“It is a great loss for us. Prashant Tamang did a great job with his singing and his talent as an artist. He did a great job of uniting all the Gorkha people. We will always be indebted to him for this. The whole country is with his family during this difficult time. He has a very young daughter, and his wife works at Air India. The family lived in Delhi. We will stand by his family,” the BJP MP said.

Actor and singer Meiyang Chang also paid last respects to Tamang.

Speaking to ANI, Chang expressed grief over the sudden passing of Tamang.

He said, “We are all in shock. This is a huge loss for everyone. It’s a loss for the music industry. It’s the biggest loss for the Gurkha community.

He recalled days with Tamang in Indian Idol season 3 and shared, “When we were all together in Idol 3, it was a matter of great pride for the entire Gurkha community. Even during the competition, we never felt like we were competing against him.”

“When the auditions for Paatal Lok were going on, he called me and asked if he should audition. Mahaveer sir and I were constantly encouraging him, telling him, ‘Please go for it!’ After a lot of pushing and telling him how good he was, that he didn’t realise how talented he was, he finally went and cracked the audition instantly. Everyone has seen how well he performed in Paatal Lok,” he added.

Hailing from West Bengal’s Darjeeling, Prashant Tamang passed away on Sunday at his Delhi residence.

Tamang was the winner of Indian Idol Season 3. Besides cementing his position in music, he also entered acting, famously appearing in ‘Paatal Lok Season 2’. He is also expected to be a part of Salman Khan’s upcoming film, ‘Battle of Galwan’. (ANI)

Carrying forward his father’s legacy, Ahan Shetty, son of actor Suniel Shetty, plays a key role in ‘Border 2’.

Suniel, who essayed a leading role in the original Border, can’t help but beam with pride at seeing his son associated with such an important film.

On Monday, he stepped out in the city to attend the song launch of ‘Jaate Hue Lamhon’. Interestingly, it’s a recreation of the hit song ‘To Chalun’ from Border.

At the event, he not only rooted for Ahan and the entire Border 2 team but also posed for a special photo session with Ahan for the paps.

Ahead of the event, Ahan took to Instagram and shared a few pictures with dad Suniel Shetty.

“This one is special (red heart emoji). Jaate Hue Lamhon – audio out now,” he captioned the post.

Directed by Anurag Singh, ‘Border 2’ is presented by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series along with JP Dutta’s JP Films.

The film, which also stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan, and Diljit Dosanjh, will open in theatres from January 23 onwards.

Recently, at an event in Jaisalmer, Sunny Deol remembered his father Dharmendra’s war film ‘Haqeeqat’, saying that it had a “strong impact” on him as a child, which motivated him to make ‘Border’.

“I did ‘Border’ because when I watched my father’s (Dharmendra) film ‘Haqeeqat’, I loved it deeply. I was a child then. So, when I became an actor, I decided to make a film similar to my father’s movie. I spoke to J P Dutta, and we decided to make a film on the Longewala subject, which is extremely close to our hearts and lives in the hearts of all of you,” said Sunny Deol.

Sunny Deol reflected on the film Border’s impact on youth, saying he never imagined it would inspire young people to join the armed forces.”Wherever I go, I never knew that we would give so much confidence to so many young people that they would choose to join the armed forces. Whenever I meet them, they tell me that after watching my film, they decided to join the army,” said Sunny Deol. (ANI)

Amid escalating anti-governmental protests in Iran and Washington issuing warnings to Tehran over its treatment of the protestors, US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) was briefed on a broad range of military and covert options that could be employed against the Islamic Republic, extending well beyond conventional airstrikes, CBS News reported, citing two US Defence Department officials.

According to CBS News, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of national security discussions, said the options include integrated military, cyber, and psychological operations.

Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that Trump’s national security team is scheduled to meet at the White House on Tuesday to review updated policy and military options related to Iran, though it remains unclear whether the president will attend.

As anti-government protests driven by soaring inflation, economic hardship and mounting public anger over governance continue to spread across Iran, Trump has repeatedly warned in recent weeks that the US could intervene if Iranian security forces intensify their crackdown on demonstrators.

On Sunday, Trump said that the Islamic Republic appears to be crossing a “red line” set by his administration, following the reports of the killing, mostly of protestors, prompting Washington to consider what he described as “very strong options”.

Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, when asked whether Iran had crossed the red line he had drawn over the treatment of protesters, Trump said, “They’re starting to, it looks like.”

According to a New York Times report, earlier, Trump was briefed on a range of military options targeting Iran.

As per the report, the options presented to the US President include targeted strikes on select sites in Tehran, including non-military infrastructure linked to the regime’s internal security apparatus.

Meanwhile, CBS News reported that air power and long-range missile capabilities remain key components of any potential military action, according to officials familiar with the matter.

However, Pentagon planners have also outlined cyber operations and psychological warfare measures to disrupt Iran’s command-and-control systems, communications networks, and state-run media outlets.

These officials noted that such cyber and psychological tools could be used alongside traditional military force or deployed independently as stand-alone measures.

CBS News also reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reached out to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to explore direct diplomatic engagement. According to two sources with knowledge of the discussions, a possible meeting between the sides is under consideration, CBS News reported.

Earlier on Sunday, the US President said that Washington may be forced to take action against Iran amid ongoing nationwide protests, even as he revealed that Tehran has reached out to Washington seeking negotiations.

Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, Trump said Iranian leaders had contacted Washington to discuss diplomatic engagement.

When asked whether Iran wanted to engage in diplomatic talks with him, Trump responded affirmatively.

“They do. They called. Iran called to negotiate yesterday. The leaders of Iran called. They want to negotiate. I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States. Iran wants to negotiate,” Trump said.

According to the most recent verified data from the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), a total of 646 people have lost their lives in connection with the protests so far. The death toll includes 505 protesters, among them nine children, as well as 133 members of Iran’s military and security forces, one prosecutor, and seven civilians who were not involved in the demonstrations.

The current protest, in its 16th day, has spread nationwide, with 606 gatherings across 187 cities, according to HRANA. (ANI)

British aero-engine maker Rolls Royce is looking to position India as its third ‘home market’ beyond the UK, unlocking exciting opportunities across jet engines, naval propulsion, and more, said the British High Commission in India in a social media post X on Monday.

The British High Commission in India said this is a clear reflection of the growing cooperation in advanced engineering and innovation.

Notably, India hosts significant market for Rolls-Royce with engineering centres, supply-chain partnerships and collaborations with Indian aerospace and defence entities.

Earlier, the Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tufan Erginbilgic had revealed the company’s ambitions to make India a “home market”, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to the country.

Erginbilgic had visited India as part of the industry delegation accompanying UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on his first official visit following the signing of the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Rolls-Royce participated in key industry dialogues aimed at strengthening the India-UK economic partnership, aligned with the India-UK Vision 2035.

With a nine-decades long legacy and a growing footprint in India, Rolls-Royce has built a robust ecosystem of people, products, capabilities, and partnerships. The company is expanding in-country capabilities through strategic local partnerships and talent development, with the goal of at least doubling its supply chain sourcing from India by 2030.

The company recently inaugurated its newly expanded Global Capability and Innovation Centre in India, which houses digital capabilities, enterprise services, and engineering teams supporting Civil Aerospace and Defence. (ANI)