The BJP-led Mahayuti has achieved a significant victory in Maharashtra's municipal elections. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis credited the win to the party's development agenda. The alliance secured a majority in numerous municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. This outcome reflects public trust in Prime Minister Modi's leadership and the alliance's focus on governance and infrastructure projects.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated BJP workers and thanked Maharashtra's people for the NDA and Mahayuti's sweeping victory in municipal corporation elections. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attributed the success to a development-focused agenda, highlighting the alliance's strong performance, particularly in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Maharashtra's civic elections saw a significant political shift as the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a dominant victory, particularly in Mumbai's BMC. Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP celebrated substantial gains, ending Shiv Sena's long-held control. Uddhav Thackeray's Sena and the Congress faced major setbacks, while Raj Thackeray's MNS and Sharad Pawar's NCP also saw diminished influence.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is said to have delivered the stark message to colleagues at an 'emotional' meeting this week.

Karen Stephensen Halldórsdóttir, a small-boat fisher, suggests that draft regulations on coastal fishing, published in the government consultation portal, are sexist.

The Venezuelan opposition leader said she handed her 2025 award to the president, an extraordinary move to regain his favor as he warms to the remnants of the Maduro regime.

President Trump said it was “wonderful gesture of mutual respect.” The Nobel Committee said the medal can change hands, but “the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”

Republicans are still clear favorites to retain control of the chamber in the midterms. But Democrats say they are more hopeful about the odds of a big upset. 

One thousand RCMP employees, past and present, allege as part of a class-action lawsuit headed to Federal Court this month, that they were subjected to «improper and invasive» breast, genital and rectal exams during mandatory medical screening, CBC News has learned.

Residents of a picturesque Cornish village were left fuming after Ross Cheal built four holiday pods in his back yard, that he has since been rented out to tourists.

The growth in December comes amid sharp US tariffs and warming ties between India and China Read Full Article at RT.com

Hamas will have to honor its commitments “the easy way, or the hard way,” US President Donald Trump has warned Read Full Article at RT.com

Donald Trump’s ambassador nominee Billy Long has apologized for joking that Iceland could become the 52nd US state Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukrainian MP Yulia Timoshenko declared the government in Kiev a “fascist regime” after being charged with vote-buying Read Full Article at RT.com

(AP) — Torrential rains and flooding have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Authorities warned Friday that more severe weather was expected across several countries in southern Africa. South Africa has reported...

Dramatic footage taken on Mount Elbrus, in southern Russia, shows a torrent of snow tearing down the mountainside on Thursday.

There was an unmistakable frisson at the Carlton Club, the inner sanctum of the Conservative Party, last week.

The nurses sued an NHS trust claiming sexual discrimination and sexual harassment because transgender nurse Rose Henderson was able to share female changing rooms.

US startup Galactic Resources Utilization Space is planning to build a resort on the Moon, ready to receive guests in six years - and hopes it will lead to human colonisation of the lunar surface.

Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made the remark during a private meeting with leaders of the European Parliament on Wednesday, according to Politico.

Two men, aged 18 and 20, have been arrested for allegedly stealing multiple motorcycle side mirrors in the western part of Singapore. The police said they received multiple reports of side mirrors being stolen from motorcycles in Jurong West, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang. The alleged thefts took place between Dec 31, 2025, and Jan 15 this year. In a statement on Friday (Jan 16), the police said the duo were identified by officers from Jurong Police Division with the aid of police cameras. The 20-year-old man will be charged in court on Saturday for theft of motor vehicle parts. Meanwhile, investigations against the 18-year-old male suspect are still ongoing. The said offence carries a penalty of up to seven years' jail and a fine.Motorcycle owners are advised to take the following precautionary measures: park their vehicles in well-lit areas; install anti-theft alarms; use a motorcycle canvas and secure both ends; and use additional locking devices such as disc brake locks or suspension guards. [[nid:728079]]editor@asiaone.com 

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers have arrested a 26-year-old Malaysian lorry driver for attempting to smuggle 8,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas Checkpoint on Jan 2. In a Facebook post on Friday (Jan 16), ICA said that anomalies were detected in a scanned image of the vehicle, which declared its consignment as plastic products. The Malaysia-registered lorry was directed for further checks, and officers found a total of 8,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.From the video posted by ICA, the «plastic products» appear to be tupperware containers. The case has been referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods may also be forfeited.[[nid:727812]]editor@asiaone.com 

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The United States has protested South Africa's decision to take part in a multinational naval exercise involving Iran, describing Tehran as a «destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror» and warning that its participation undermines regional and maritime security.

[Daily Trust] Nigeria has officially been removed from the European Union's list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing.

[Independent (Kampala)] Butambala, Uganda -- At least eight people are feared dead following clashes between voters and security forces in Butambala District last night.

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has commented to RT on corruption charges against MP Yulia Timoshenko Read Full Article at RT.com

The Soviet Union was not involved in the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, according to archival documents   Read Full Article at RT.com

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is set to trigger a tectonic shift in Red Sea geopolitics Read Full Article at RT.com

Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson has accused US President Donald Trump of exaggerating the foreign threat to Greenland Read Full Article at RT.com

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has secured more than 76% of the vote, with early results in from nearly half of polling stations Read Full Article at RT.com

Large crowds of people lined up around the block outside a pair of packed community halls in central Alberta on Wednesday night, to attend town meetings focused on the idea of the province seeking independence from Canada.

The Federal Court of Appeal is expected to give its decision Friday morning on whether the Liberal government unlawfully invoked the Emergencies Act to clear the convoy protests that gridlocked the capital and border points in 2022.