The year 2026 is set to be a pivotal electoral year, featuring crucial assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. These contests will significantly shape the careers of key leaders and test the national ambitions of major parties, influencing the landscape leading up to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Telangana has scrapped its two-child norm for local body elections, a rule that previously disqualified individuals with more than two children. Citing a declining fertility rate below the replacement level, the state government argued the decades-old population control measure is no longer relevant. Officials believe maintaining the replacement fertility rate is crucial for the state's future demographic balance, as citizens increasingly opt for smaller families.

AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel warned he would «cut off the hand of any individual who dares to touch Muslim women with ill intent,» amid the hijab row involving Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. Addressing a rally in Jalna, he accused BJP and other secular parties of supporting goons while neglecting Muslims.

Russia’s embassy in Austria has condemned Vienna for allowing a march marking the birthday of Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera Read Full Article at RT.com

The Venezuelan president and his wife were flown out of the country, the US president has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Donald Trump has said that Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of Venezuela Read Full Article at RT.com

The US president has claimed that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has been captured and flown out of the country Read Full Article at RT.com

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been indicted on drug and weapons charges, US Attorney General Pamela Bondi has said Read Full Article at RT.com

A new World Bank report has revealed that Malawi is facing one of the worst economic crises in its history, driven by rising debt, wasteful spending, and poor investment in people and development. The report shows that government spending has almost doubled over the past decade and is now far higher than what the country […] The post Malawi’s Economy in Crisis — World Bank Exposes Dangerous Path of Debt, Waste, and Broken Trust appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The embassy emphasized that such actions «pose a threat to international peace and stability, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, and place the lives of millions of people at serious risk»

«He is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States,» reads the message, which was originally published on July 27

State channels broadcast a Defense Ministry message urging them to remain calm

«No cowardly attack can withstand the strength of this people, who will emerge victorious,» Bolivarian Republic Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto said

The price of March Brent crude futures stood at $60.8 per barrel at the close of trading on January 1 on London’s ICE exchange

TEHRAN – With generous support from the government of Japan, the UN-Habitat office in Iran has launched a women-led tree nursery to strengthen both livelihoods and the ecosystem in Sayeh-Khosh village, southern Hormozgan province.

TEHRAN – Iran and China will support the implementation of five out of 190 research projects proposed in the Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Plants, and Energy sectors after the fifth joint call by the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).

TEHRAN – The rate of aging in Iran is growing faster than the global average, so that the country will be among the oldest countries in the world in 25 years, the head of the Welfare Organization has said.

TEHRAN –Observed annually on January 4, World Braille Day highlights the importance of Braille in empowering visually impaired individuals, promoting their inclusion, and ensuring that no one is left in the dark.

The Minnesota governor is seeking a third term amid a welfare probe in his state that has sparked unwanted national attention.

The Postal Service is no longer guaranteeing when it will postmark mail, which could jeopardize some ballots that arrive after Election Day.

The National Housing Trust (NHT) says its information technology team is addressing challenges being experienced by some contributors attempting to access its online portal to submit applications for refunds of 2018 contributions. In a notice...

As misinformation continues to dominate social media and beauty trends, Dr Keren-Marie St Clair, founder of The Skin Lab Jamaica, believes the normalisation of unsafe skin practices in the Caribbean is rooted in long-standing systemic gaps. “Access...

Climate change worsened by human behaviour made 2025 one of the three hottest years on record, scientists said. It was also the first time that the three-year temperature average broke through the threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of...

Jamaica’s ambassador to Washington, Antony Anderson, has praised the diaspora’s swift response to Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on October 28, causing widespread damage to homes, communities and livelihoods. In a New Year message,...

Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation, a North America-based charity supporting Jamaican schools, has postponed its 20th anniversary voluntourism trip to Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, until July. The charity’s mission remains intact despite the...

At Mar-a-Lago, official governance, private business and personal relationships converge.

“From December 29, 2025, the Eastern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army of China began the exercise Justice Mission 2025,” Zhang Hanhui said

Pour les Vœux les Meilleurs 2026 à toutes et à tous, le Forum National des Organisations de Jeunesse rend un hommage solennel aux plus de 10 371 leaders associatifs et aux organisations de jeunesse, notamment celles des personnes vivant avec un handicap. Chaque jour, sur le terrain, vous écoutez les jeunes, comprenez leurs réalités, recueillez leurs difficultés et transformez leurs préoccupations en solutions concrètes, innovantes et utiles. Sans subventions, sans projecteurs, souvent (...) - LIBRE PROPOS / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

En séjour dans la province de l'Ogooué-Lolo, le Président de la République, Chef de l'État, Chef du Gouvernement, Son Excellence Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, a effectué une visite d'inspection des chantiers relatifs aux secteurs de l'éducation, de l'habitat et des infrastructures, en vue d'évaluer leur niveau d'exécution. La ville de Lastourville, chef-lieu du département de Mulundu, a constitué la première étape de cette mission. À cette occasion, le Chef de l'État s'est rendu (...) - INFRASTRUCTURES / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

State-owned companies in Malawi are becoming weaker financially, with their assets and income falling when compared to the size of the economy. This means these companies are now playing a smaller role in supporting national development and delivering public services. This is according to the 2024/25 Consolidated Report for State-Owned Enterprises released by the Ministry […] The post Report Shows State-Owned Companies are Losing Value and Struggling to Serve the Economy appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Fresh amber warnings have been issued as a 'bitterly cold snap' is set to spark travel chaos across the UK.

A 34-year-old private bus driver is assisting with police investigations after being involved in a chain collision along the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Friday (Jan 2). The accident involved 5 cars and the private bus, and took place along the SLE in the direction of Bukit Timah Expressway. The police told AsiaOne that it was alerted to the accident at about 7.30pm. A 19-year-old male car driver sustained minor injuries, but declined to be taken to hospital. Dashcam footage of the accident's aftermath was uploaded to Facebook group Both Checkpoint. It showed a private bus with a shattered windshield at the back of the the pile-up. Investigations are ongoing.[[nid:727386]]bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

The Workers' Party leadership has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the constitution of the party. In a media statement on Saturday (Jan 3), the party said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Friday to deliberate on matters arising from the High Court judgment last month on Singh's failed appeal against conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee. The Friday meeting also discussed the request for a special cadre members' conference (special CMC). «The CEC has concluded that it is appropriate to call the special CMC after the disciplinary panel has completed its work, considering the need for due process,» WP said in its statement on Saturday. «To prevent undue delay, the CEC has set a timeline that the disciplinary process be concluded within three months. The notice of the special CMC will be issued within two weeks after the conclusion of the disciplinary process.» [[nid:726880]]bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com