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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today interacted with the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, Jagdeo Singh. He also met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles, Azarel Ernesta. These meetings were held on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC).     In a social media post, Mr Birla said that his discussions with Mr Singh recalled the long-standing and historical connections between India and Trinidad and Tobago. The dialogue focused on enhancing parliamentary cooperation and expanding partnerships in key areas, including the pharmaceutical sector, with an emphasis on opening new markets and enhancing bilateral trade.     In his meeting with Ms Azarel, Mr Birla congratulated her on her historic achievement as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles. Their discussions focused on strengthening parliament-to-parliament cooperation, the greater use of technology and AI in parliamentary functioning, and expanding capacity-building initiatives through customised programmes.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today met the Vice Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Ms Sun Haiyan, in New Delhi.     In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that they both discussed the progress made in stabilising and rebuilding bilateral ties with priority on business and people-centric engagements and ways to take bilateral engagement forward in the new year. During the meeting, both sides reiterated their commitment to implementing the important directions provided by their leaders and to advancing bilateral relations on the path of normalisation.      The Foreign Secretary noted the importance of increasing the understanding between the people of the two countries in order to rebuild ties. He highlighted the need to take positive steps to create the right environment for improved bilateral relations.     Ms Haiyan briefed the Foreign Secretary on her impressions from the visit, including her interactions with Indian media, think tanks and political parties. The Chinese side also congratulated the Indian side on assuming the BRICS chairship this year and expressed its strong support for a successful BRICS Summit in India.

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri today said that India has achieved a milestone towards energy self-sufficiency. In a social media post, Mr Puri informed that Urja Bharat PTE Limited, a joint venture between Indian Oil and Bharat Petro Resources Limited, has successfully discovered light crude oil in Abu Dhabi’s Onshore Block-1. He said that this discovery has been made in both the Shilaif play and the Habshan reservoir.   Mr Puri highlighted that such international partnerships will further strengthen India’s energy security. He also said that this achievement marks an important step in Indian Oil’s expanding global upstream journey and reflects the technical excellence and dedication of Indian teams.

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan today said that the vision of a Viksit Bharat can only be realised when the youth of the country is drug-free, healthy and purpose-driven. Mr Radhakrishnan said this while addressing Delhi University’s Drug Free Campus Campaign in the National Capital. On the occasion, Mr Radhakrishnan also launched a dedicated e-pledge platform and Mobile App for Drug-Free Campuses.   The Vice President said that the campaign aligns strongly with the government’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. He underlined that substance abuse is a social challenge, a public health concern and a threat to the country’s demographic dividend. Mr Radhakrishnan also urged the students to actively participate and take the pledge for a drug-free campus.   Mr Radhakrishnan highlighted that it is the need of the hour for everyone to keep themselves away from drugs. He also stressed the need to rise against drug abuse and spread awareness amongst everyone against the use of drugs. Mr Radhakrishnan said that drugs also spoil the physical and mental health of people.   The Vice President also asserted that the youth are the greatest asset of the country and their talent, innovation and productivity form the backbone of the nation’s economic growth. He added that a drug-free youth is better equipped to acquire skills and foster entrepreneurship, which strengthens the economic progress of the nation.   Mr Radhakrishnan said that drug terrorism is closely linked to narco-terrorism. He said that this business happens at the cost of humanity, and everyone must rise against the drug mafia.   Speaking on the occasion, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan emphasised that the Drug Free Campus Campaign is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020. He also underscored the need for teachers and administrators to create a campus culture which prioritises student well-being.

President Droupadi Murmu has invited the Captain of the Indian Blind Cricket Team, Deepika, to attend the Republic Day celebrations this year in New Delhi. Postal officers visited Deepika’s native village Tambalahatti in Amarapuram mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district, Andhra Pradesh and handed over the invitation to her. Reacting to the invitation, Deepika expressed happiness, saying that it was a proud moment for her to receive an invitation from the President of India. She said, attending the Republic Day celebrations in person would be a memorable experience and described it as a matter of great honour.

The US Department of State said it has revoked over 100,000 visas as part of efforts to strengthen security and enforce immigration laws. This includes about 8,000 student visas and 2,500 specialised visas issued to people who had encounters with US law enforcement for criminal activity. In a social media post yesterday, the Department said that visa revocations and deportations are being used to protect national security. It also warned that visa holders must follow US laws or risk losing their visas and being deported. Recently, the US Embassy in India warned visa holders, especially students, that breaking the United States’ Laws can have serious consequences, leading to the revocation of the visa and even deportation from the US. The extent of the revocations reflects the broad immigration crackdown initiated when Trump returned to the White House last year, deporting an unprecedented number of migrants, including some who held valid visas. The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has stressed that resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability will be the key priorities during India’s chairship of BRICS 2026. Speaking at the launch of logo, theme and website for the BRICS Summit, Mr. Jaishankar said these priorities will provide a coherent framework across the grouping’s three foundational pillars, political and security, economic and financial, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The Minister said, India will seek to bring together the potential of BRICS countries for the greater global welfare during the summit. He said, BRICS will complete 20 years this year, during which it steadily evolved into a significant platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing economies. The Minister also said that innovation remains a central driver of global economic development, noting that leveraging new and emerging technologies is crucial for tackling socio-economic challenges. He said, over the years, BRICS has expanded its agenda and membership. He highlighted that the forum responded to changing global realities while remaining focused on people-centric development, fostering dialogue and promoting practical cooperation.

India’s logistics sector has made remarkable progress in recent years, achieving a significant milestone with logistics costs now reduced to 7.97 per cent of GDP. The government has said that this achievement reflects the success of sustained reforms and integrated planning, positioning the nation closer to global benchmarks. Indian Railways has approved 306 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals, with a combined capacity of 192 million tonnes per annum. Two thousand six hundred and seventy-two million tonnes of freight have shifted from road to rail since 2014, which has resulted in a saving of more than 143 million tonnes of CO₂. Private investment of around eight thousand six hundred crore rupees has been mobilised under the GCT Policy.

President Donald Trump said the United States will acquire Greenland, warning that failure to do so would allow Russia or China to gain control of the strategic Arctic territory. Trump said he preferred a negotiated agreement, but the outcome was inevitable. Answering whether military action was being considered, Trump said the US focus was on ownership. He also dismissed concerns that such a move could undermine NATO. When asked whether Denmark had been presented with a formal offer, Trump said there is no such proposal. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, holds strategic importance due to its location in the Arctic and its proximity to emerging shipping routes and military corridors. The US already maintains a military presence in Greenland, and Arctic security has become a growing concern amid increased Russian and Chinese activity in the region.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange colour warning for dense to very dense fog conditions in Uttar Pradesh today. According to the IMD, cold wave to severe cold wave conditions will also likely be over Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh today. The weather agency has also forecast dense fog conditions to continue to prevail over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Uttarakhand for the next 3 to 4 days. IMD also predicted cold wave conditions at isolated places over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Saurashtra, Kutch and Uttarakhand. Minimum temperatures are expected to gradually fall by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over East and Northeast India during the next 2 days, and gradually rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over Central India during the next 3 days.

Delhi today reeled under an intense cold spell as temperatures dipped sharply across the national capital. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 2.9 degrees Celsius this morning. In Palam, the minimum temperature stood at 3.3 degrees Celsius, while Lodhi Road recorded a low temperature of 3 degrees Celsius. As per the weather department, dense fog is expected to prevail for the Delhi and NCR regions till the 17th of January. The lowest minimum temperature of the country was recorded at 1.1 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, followed by Churu, Rajasthan, at 1.3 degrees Celsius.

India has reiterated its commitment to achieving 500 Giga Watt of non-fossil fuel installed power capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Delivering India’s national statement at the 16th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said India’s approach to energy transition is guided by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future. He added that this approach is anchored in a long-term vision of equity, inclusivity, and policy stability. Highlighting a major milestone of energy transition, Mr Joshi said that India has already achieved 50 per cent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in 2025, five years ahead of its Nationally Determined Contribution target under the Paris Agreement. He added that India’s renewable energy capacity has crossed 266 Giga Watt, placing the country among the global leaders in renewable energy deployment. The Minister emphasised that India’s energy transition is not only about capacity addition but also about people, opportunity and a shared sustainable future.