TODAY NEWS ON  January 15, 2026

Iran protests: Trump claims killing ‘has stopped’ even as Tehran signals executions ahead

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) that he’s been told “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, even as Tehran has indicated fast trials and executions ahead in its crackdown on protesters. Mr. Trump did not specify where he had received that information but only described it as “very important sources on the other side.”
India tells nationals to leave Iran; At least 30 killed as construction crane falls onto moving train in Thailand, and more

Indian Embassy in Iran urges Indian nationals there to leave Iran “by available means of transport”. Iran’s Judiciary Chief vowed fast-track trials for suspects arrested over a wave of protests, which the authorities have dismissed as riots, State television said Wednesday (January 14, 2026) .The death toll from a crackdown on protests in Iran jumps to at least 2,571, activists said early Wednesday (January 14, 2026).

U.S. to suspend immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance

The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The statement did not identify which countries would be affected by the pause, but President Donald Trump’s administration has already severely restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them in Africa.

BSF, ITBP and NIA get new chiefs

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Wednesday approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to appoint Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, former Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) as the chief of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The ACC also approved the appointment of 1993-batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, Praveen Kumar, who is at present working as DG, ITBP, to the post of Director General, Border Security Force (BSF).

Kuki-Zo Council reiterate demand for Union Territory

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has reiterated the demand for a Union Territory for Kuki-Zo tribes in Manipur. Insisting that it would be difficult for the Kuki-Zos to coexist with the non-tribal Meiteis, the KZC, the apex body of the community, also warned against resettling the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) belonging to the Meitei community in the “buffer zone” or close to Kuki-Zo areas.

Denmark, Greenland talks with Vance and Rubio fail to alter U.S. position

Denmark’s top diplomat said on Wednesday he failed to change the mind of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on his threats to seize Greenland after flying to the White House for talks. The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Copenhagen, met with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in what they hoped would clear up “misunderstandings” after Trump’s bellicose language toward the NATO ally.

Wholesale price inflation rises marginally to 0.83% in December

Wholesale price inflation extended upward momentum for the second straight month, recording at 0.83% in December 2025, driven by an uptick in prices of food, non-food articles, and manufactured items on a month-on-month basis, government data showed on Wednesday (January 14, 2026). Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation returned to positive in December, after witnessing a deflationary trend in the previous two months.

29 Maharashtra civic bodies go to polls on January 15; Mumbai is big prize

More than 3.48 crore voters will cast their ballots on Thursday (January 15, 2026) in elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in Maharashtra, choosing 2,869 corporators from among 15,908 candidates, following an intense, high-pitched campaign by all six major political parties in the State.

Construction crane falls onto moving train in Thailand; death toll rises to 30

A construction crane fell onto a moving passenger train, causing a fiery derailment Wednesday (January 14, 2026) that killed at least 30 people and injured scores in northeastern Thailand. The derailment occurred on part of an ambitious planned high-speed rail project that will eventually connect China with much of Southeast Asia.

NEET PG-2025 cutoffs lowered after two rounds of counselling

With over 18,000 postgraduate medical seats across the country remaining vacant, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has revised the qualifying percentiles for NEET-PG 2025 admissions, reducing them to zero percentile from 40 percentile for reserved categories.

Supreme Court to hear on January 15 ED’s case for probe into ‘obstruction’ of I-PAC raids by West Bengal CM

The Supreme Court is scheduled on January 15 to hear a a petition filed by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged obstruction of its raids at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC and its co-founder Pratik Jain in Kolkata by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, State officials and other individuals.

Bose Krishnamachari resigns from Kochi Biennale Foundation

Artist-curator Bose Krishnamachari has resigned from the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF). He was a co-founder and president of KBF and member, Board of Trustees of KBF. Mr. Krishnamachari has cited “pressing family reasons” for his resignation, said Venu. V., chairperson, KBF, in a statement on Wednesday (January 14, 2026). Mr. Krishnamachari has not made any comment on the matter, though his decision, which comes amid the ongoing edition of the biennale, has triggered speculations.

Security forces intensify search operation in J&K’s Kathua

Security forces on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) stepped up an ongoing search operation by extending the cordon to track down and neutralise terrorists in remote villages of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said. Several gunshots were heard when the security forces launched the operation in the Najote forest area in Billawar tehsil on Tuesday (January 13, 2026) based on information about the presence of a terrorist there.

U.S. President Donald Trump warns of ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters

U.S. President Donald Trump warned of unspecified “very strong action” if Iranian authorities go ahead with threatened hangings of some protesters, with Tehran calling American warnings a “pretext for military intervention”. International outrage has built over the crackdown that a rights group said has likely killed thousands during protests posing one of the biggest challenges yet to Iran’s clerical leadership. Iran’s UN mission posted a statement on X, vowing that Washington’s “playbook” would “fail again”.

Kohli reclaims top spot in ODI rankings following brilliant half-century against New Zealand

India’s star cricketer Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings for batters, replacing Rohit Sharma, after scoring a brilliant half-century against New Zealand in the first match of the three-game series in Vadodara. At 37, this marks his return to number one position for the first time since July 2021, while former India skipper Rohit has slipped to third spot.

India vs NZ 2nd ODI: Mitchell magic on display as New Zealand levels series

K.L. Rahul ended his 26-month drought for an ODI hundred. But Daryl Mitchell not only overhauled Rahul’s tally (an unbeaten 112) but also earned vital support from Will Young at the other end. The duo set up a convincing seven-wicket win for New Zealand against India in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium that kept the three-match series alive heading into Sunday’s decider.