Mamata Banerjee at Kolkata march; MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal

Here are top five stories of the day:

Mamata Banerjee hits the streets: West Bengal CM leads Kolkata rally against ED raids on I-PAC

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest rally in Kolkata on Friday against the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a day after the central agency conducted raids at the office of political consultancy I-PAC and the residence of its chief, Partik Jain. The rally was held near the 8B bus stand in Jadavpur, where a large number of TMC leaders and workers gathered, raising slogans against the alleged misuse of central agencies. Heavy police deployment was seen in the area. Read full story

The ministry of external affairs on Friday termed the remarks made by US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick that “PM Modi’s reluctance to call Trump” was the reason behind the delay in the trade deal between the United States and India, as “inaccurate.”In a media briefing MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “PM Modi and President Trump have spoken on eight occasions in 2025.” Read full story

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday warned the protesters, saying the Islamic Republic would “not back down” amid escalating unrest accusing “foreign-backed elements” of trying to destabilise the country. He also targeted Donald Trump, claiming the “hands of the US President are stained with the blood of Iranians” further asserting that the “arrogant” leader would eventually be overthrown. In a speech aired on state television, the 86-year-old leader said, “Everyone should know that the Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people, and it will not back down in the face of saboteurs.” Read full story

The Madras high court’s chief justice has temporarily stayed the single judge’s order that directed the CBFC to grant a UA certificate. The matter has been posted for further hearing on January 21, after the Pongal holidays. Representing the Censor Board, the ASG stated that the single judge held the Chairperson’s January 6 letter to be without jurisdiction, but argued that the letter itself was never challenged before the court. He pointed out that no writ of certiorari was sought against the letter. The ASG further contended that the CBFC should have been given an opportunity to defend its position by filing a counter affidavit. Follow live updates

Indian women’s cricket team batter Jemimah Rodrigues recently shared a scary yet funny story from her childhood that left everyone shocked at the time. The incident happened when she was just eight years old, long before she became a World Cup hero for India. Jemimah recalled that she was at a church programme with her cousins. The kids were playing outside an auditorium while the adults were busy inside. Like most children, they were full of energy and mischief. Read full story

Vodafone Idea (Vi) will pay the government Rs 1,144 crore over the next 10 years, with the remaining adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues — frozen at Rs 87,695 crore — to be paid in instalments starting March 2036, the company said on Friday, reported PTI.The Union Cabinet has frozen Vi’s AGR dues at Rs 87,695 crore, with repayments to begin from FY2031-32 and continue until FY2040-41. In addition, the government has granted the telco six years, from FY2025-26 to FY2030-31, to clear AGR dues pertaining to 2017-18 and 2018-19 without any change.Vi said the entire AGR liability — comprising principal, interest, penalty and interest on penalty for the period from 2006-07 to 2018-19 as of December 31 — will be frozen and repaid in tranches.“Maximum Rs 124 crore to be paid annually over next six years i.e. March 2026 to March 2031; Rs 100 crore to be paid annually over four years i.e. March 2032 to March 2035; the remaining AGR dues, has to be paid in equal instalments annually over six years, i.e. March 2036 to March 2041,” the company said in a regulatory filing.The relief provides a fresh lease of life to the debt-laden operator, which would otherwise have had to pay around Rs 18,000 crore by March 2026 and a similar amount every year for the next six years without government support.Earlier, Vi had informed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) that its total liabilities to the government were about Rs 2 lakh crore, including Rs 1.19 lakh crore towards spectrum dues. The company said that without support, the Centre would face significant losses, including no recovery of spectrum dues, erosion of equity value worth Rs 53,083 crore, and no recovery of AGR dues.Vi’s annual liabilities were more than double its operational cash generation, which has ranged between Rs 8,400 crore and Rs 9,200 crore over the last three years.The company also said a DoT-appointed committee will reassess the AGR dues, with its decision to be final. “Thereafter, the reassessed amount is to be repaid between March 2036 and March 2041 in equal annual instalments,” the filing said.Analysts said the relief could ease funding pressures. A Citi report said the move could “fast-track the completion of Vi’s Rs 250 billion (Rs 25,000 crore) bank debt raise” and potentially pave the way for another equity raise, while improving confidence in the company’s ability to continue as a going concern and revive network investments.Ambit Capital said decisive government action and possible upside from reassessment would help Vi raise bank funding needed for survival capex. It added that a favourable Supreme Court verdict had already enabled Vi to raise Rs 3,300 crore through non-convertible debentures recently.

A spirited innings from Liam Scott ultimately proved insufficient as Hobart Hurricanes produced a clinical all-round display to defeat Adelaide Strikers by 37 runs in Match 28 of the Big Bash League 2025-26 at the Bellerive Oval. After setting a challenging target of 179, the Hurricanes backed it up with incisive bowling, led brilliantly by Nathan Ellis, to seal a dominant home victory.

Hobart Hurricanes post competitive total after explosive start

Asked to bat first, Hobart Hurricanes began aggressively, with Mitchell Owen providing early fireworks through a blistering 33 off just nine deliveries. His clean striking set the tone, allowing the Hurricanes to maintain momentum despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Tim Ward and Rehan Ahmed steadied the innings in the middle phase, with Rehan’s quick 29 off 17 balls ensuring the run rate never dipped.

Ben McDermott struggled for fluency, but valuable contributions from Nikhil Chaudhary and Matthew Wade kept the innings on track. Wade played with intent, scoring 27 off 19 balls, while Macalister Wright’s late push helped Hobart Hurricanes close on a strong 178/6. For Adelaide Strikers, Jamie Overton stood out with an economical spell, while Tabraiz Shamsi applied the brakes during the middle overs.

Also READ: Ben Dwarshuis, Joel Davies shine as Sydney Sixers pip Melbourne Stars in a low-scoring thriller

Nathan Ellis leads bowling masterclass as Liam Scott’s fighting knock goes in vain

The chase got off to a disastrous start for Adelaide Strikers, who lost their top order cheaply and were immediately put on the back foot. Matthew Short, Chris Lynn, and Mackenzie Harvey all fell inside the powerplay, leaving the visitors reeling and in desperate need of stability.

Scott rose to the occasion with a magnificent 91 off 58 balls, showcasing composure and power in equal measure. He struck six boundaries and five sixes, single-handedly keeping the Strikers’ hopes alive. However, a lack of support from the other batters meant the required rate continued to climb.

Ellis turned the game decisively in Hobart’s favour with a superb spell, conceding just seven runs in his two overs while claiming two key wickets. He was well supported by Riley Meredith’s pace and Rishad Hossain’s guile, with the latter picking up three wickets to extinguish any chance of a late recovery. Adelaide Strikers eventually finished on 141/9, handing Hobart Hurricanes a convincing 37-run victory. Ellis’ impactful performance earned him the Player of the Match award as Hobart Hurricanes capped off a dominant display in front of their home crowd.

Hobart Hurricanes got the better of Adelaide Strikers in BBL|15 clash 💪#BBL15 pic.twitter.com/TPJMAbOdm5

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 9, 2026

Also WATCH: Riley Meredith floors Mackenzie Harvey with an unplayable delivery in BBL|15

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Friday termed the remarks made by US secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick that “PM Modi’s reluctance to call Trump” was the reason behind the delay in the trade deal between the United States and India, as “inaccurate.”In a media briefing MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “PM Modi and President Trump have spoken on eight occasions in 2025.”

While responding to a question about the claims made by Lutnick in a podcast where he had blamed the delay in the US-India trade agreement on New Delhi, saying that the States waited for PM Modi‘s call for too long, Jaiswal dismissed the claims as “inaccurate characterizations.”He mentioned the multiple rounds of negotiation between the two countries and how on several occasions a “deal was close.”Also read: Between the staircase and the see-saw; Did PM Modi’s reluctance to call Trump cost India a trade deal?“We have seen the remarks, India and the United States were committed to a bilateral trade agreement as far back as February 13, 2025. Since both sides have had multiple rounds of negotiations to arrive at a mutually beneficial deal. On several occasions we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in reported remarks is not accurate,” Jaiswal said.He further went on to say India remains committed to a mutually ‘beneficial’ trade agreement, also rebutting Lutnick’s claims. “We remain committed to mutually beneficial deal between two complementary economies. Incidentally, PM Modi and President Trump have spoken on eight occasions in 2025, covering different aspects of our wide ranging partnership,” he said.Speaking at the All-In Podcast, hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, Lutnick said, “Let’s be clear, it’s his deal. He’s the closer. He does the deal. So I said, you got to have Modi. It’s all set up. You have to have Modi…they were uncomfortable doing it.”Also read: ‘Hug hug na raha’- Congress takes dig at PM Modi; reacts to stalled India–US trade deal “So Modi didn’t call,” he claimed. This statement comes after US President on Thursday, approved a bill that can impose at least 500 per cent tariffs for countries buying Russian oil, aiming to “punish them.” US senator Lindsey Graham said that the bill would give US tremendous leverage against countries like China, India and Brazil to incentivize them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil.

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Friday again questioned Bangladesh over “recurring attacks on minorities”, and demanded strict action against the perpetrators. It said that the attempts to dismiss such incidents as “personal or political disputes” only “emboldened the perpetrators”. The remarks came as the reported cases of communal violence in December 2025 rose to 51, including 10 murders, according to Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC).“We have repeatedly addressed this issue in earlier briefings and continue to see a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities, their homes, and businesses by extremists in Bangladesh,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.“These communal incidents must be dealt with swiftly and firmly. Attempts to dismiss them as personal or political disputes only embolden perpetrators and deepen fear and insecurity among minorities,” he added.Earlier this week, a 25-year-old Hindu man was killed in northwestern Bangladesh after leaping into a canal while fleeing a mob that had accused him of theft, marking the latest episode of violence against the minority community.Meanwhile, police detained former madrasa teacher Yasin Arafat, the main suspect in the murder of Hindu worker Dipu Chandra Das on December 18.Bangladesh’s Hindu community has faced a wave of attacks on minorities following the December killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Among the victims was 40-year-old grocery shop owner Moni Chakraborty, who was hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Charsindhur Bazar in Palash Upazila on the night of January 5. The same day, Rana Pratap Bairagi, 38, an ice factory owner and acting editor of the Narail-based newspaper Dainik BD Khabar, was shot dead in the head by unknown attackers in Jessore district. In another incident, 50-year-old Khokon Chandra Das was viciously assaulted, hacked and set ablaze while returning home after shutting his shop on December 31. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on January 3.

(From left) Jyoti Singh, Sunelita Toppo and Ishika

SG Pipers had a forgettable season in the last edition of the Women’s Hockey India League (WHIL). They finished last with just one win in regulation time. However, they turned it around this season and will be facing Shrachi Bengal Tigers in the final on Saturday.They lost their final group match 2-5 against Ranchi Royals in Ranchi on Thursday but still finished on top of the table with 11 points from six matches.And one of the key factors behind the transformation has been the way their young stars have performed. Be it Sunelita Toppo, Jyoti Singh or Ishika, they have been incredible.The trio came into the tournament after a below-par showing for India in the junior World Cup but the way they picked themselves up and performed in WHIL was more than impressive.“Not many people follow junior hockey, so this was a chance for us to show what we are capable of and perform alongside the overseas players,” said junior India skipper Jyoti, who has tried to learn as much as possible from defenders Valentina Costa Biondi and Lola Reira.Besides the overseas players, their coach Sofie Gierts is the one who made the biggest difference. “As a player, it matters a lot how much trust the coach has in you. Sofie does that and it helped us to grow in confidence,” said Ishika, who scored two goals during the Junior World Cup in Santiago last year.India senior player and Pipers captain Navneet Kaur also played a major role as she guided them and gave them all the support on and off the field.“As a junior you can be good, but you need someone to push you. Especially after making mistakes, you start doubting yourself. This is where the seniors use their experience to guide us,” said Jyoti.Few have made better use of this support than Sunelita and she scored two lovely goals in the tournament.“Navneet di kept telling me to read the situation better, when to speed up and when to attack. I have been trying to do it since I made it to the senior team, but I was finally able to do it successfully during the match against Soorma,” added the youngster from Odisha.It definitely made Navneet proud, and she hopes to see them get even better in the coming days. “They have improved a lot since last year. We keep telling them to play freely, concentrate on their game,” said Naveet, who scored both the goals for Pipers on Thursday.This kind of support has given them confidence, and it has shown in the way they performed. It now remains to be seen whether they can keep it up on Saturday and lead Pipers to victory.

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