As 2026 gets underway, it’s advisable to check the bank holiday calendar before planning a visit to the branch. Missing a holiday can quickly turn a bank visit into a wasted trip, particularly in the early days of the year when people are getting back to work and managing their finances. Banks in India observe a mix of national and state-specific holidays, which means branch closures can differ from one state to another.

Are banks closed on January 3?

On Saturday, January 3, banks in Uttar Pradesh are closed to observe the birthday of Hazrat Ali. Usually banks are shut only on second and fourth Saturdays of the month according to the RBI calendar.

More holidays in January:

January 12: Banks in West Bengal will be closed to mark the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.January 14: Banking services will be suspended in Gujarat, Odisha, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on account of Makar Sankranti and Magh Bihu.January 15: Banks in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will remain shut in observance of Uttarayana Punyakala, Pongal, Maghe Sankranti and Makara Sankranti.January 16: Banks in Tamil Nadu will be closed for Thiruvalluvar Day, followed by another closure in the state on January 17, 2026, due to Uzhavar Thirunal.January 23: Banks in Tripura, Odisha and West Bengal will remain shut in observance of the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Saraswati Puja (Shree Panchami), Vir Surendrasai Jayanti and Basanta Panchami.January 26: Banks will remain closed nationwide on the occasion of Republic Day.Being aware of bank holidays in advance can help customers plan essential financial transactions and avoid last-minute disruptions. However, a bank holiday does not mean that no banking activity is available. Even when branches are closed, customers can continue to access online banking services, ATMs, mobile banking apps and UPI for fund transfers, bill payments and other routine transactions. However, services that require a physical visit to the branch, such as large cash deposits, cheque clearances and the issuance of demand drafts, will not be available. To avoid inconvenience, account holders are advised to plan such activities ahead of time and rely on digital banking options during bank closures.

Panaji: Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have told their foreign players they are free to chase opportunities elsewhere for the rest of the season with the top-tier league yet to kick off here. The ISL normally starts in September and concludes in April, but football has come to a standstill this season as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) does not have a marketing partner. The commercial rights for the top league did not find any takers. Without any competitive football, foreign players are growing restless and have chosen to make a move during this month’s transfer window, even though it’s for lesser money. “The situation has become untenable for my family and me,” said FC Goa midfielder Borja Herrera who has moved to Indonesia after four seasons in India. “Those in charge have pushed me to make this decision, as after countless meetings, they still haven’t made a real decision.” Herrera, the only player to win three Super Cups in a row, wasn’t the first from Goa to quit the club. Javier Siverio packed his bags for Greece even before the club could play their concluding AFC Champions League Two group-stage clash against FC Istiklol at home. His parting message: “Have some shame, AIFF.” Kerala Blasters too have seen departures. While Portuguese striker Tiago Alves mutually parted ways with the club after playing just three competitive games in three months, captain Adrian Luna is headed to Indonesia on loan till end of season, and Moroccan winger Noah Sadaoui is almost certain to join him in the Indonesian Super League later this week. “In a normal situation, we would have wanted the players to stay with us, but we are being pragmatic and don’t want to create hurdles,” said Kerala Blasters CEO Abhik Chatterjee. “The players want to prolong their careers and need to be playing competitive football, particularly when approaching a certain age. Everyone is now trying to ascertain what is best for them. The players are looking at opportunities.” Scottish midfielder Connor Shields, Chennaiyin FC’s captain last season, waited for an update from Indian football for several months before deciding it was best for him to continue his journey with Cambodian Premier League champions Svay Rieng FC. East Bengal and Bengaluru FC are also expecting to lose their foreign players for the rest of the season, though widespread speculation about Argentine defender Kevin Sibille leaving the Kolkata giants is incorrect. Fiji striker Roy Krishna, a previous winner of the ISL Golden Ball, decided to ply his trade in the Super League Kerala with Malappuram FC, and with no sign of ISL kicking off, preferred to move home where he is now the first marquee signing for Bula FC. “For the foreign players, we have provided them with an option that they are free to move if there are offers,” said NorthEast CEO Mandar Tamhane. “Some of our foreign players are young and their futures are at stake. If they don’t play, it’s difficult to find offers (for next season).”

As Australia prepare for the final chapter of the Ashes 2025–26 series, emotions are running high in the home camp with Usman Khawaja set to play his final international match. Ahead of the fifth Test at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground, Australian captain Pat Cummins shared a heartfelt message for his longtime teammate, making a special request that perfectly captured the sentiment surrounding Khawaja’s swansong.

Pat Cummins’ message for a departing Usman Khawaja

Pat Cummins, who leads Australia in both Tests and ODIs, took to social media to congratulate Khawaja on a distinguished international career. Along with his message, Cummins shared a photograph featuring the pair and expressed a simple yet powerful wish — for Khawaja to sign off with one more century at his home venue.

“Congratulations on an incredible career, mate. One more home century to go,” Cummins wrote, echoing the hopes of fans and teammates alike as Australia brace for an emotional farewell.

A full-circle moment at the SCG

The Sydney Test carries deep significance for Khawaja. It was at the same ground back in 2011 that he made his Test debut against England during the Ashes series, stepping in after Ricky Ponting was ruled out through injury. Nearly 15 years later, Khawaja will walk out at the SCG once more, this time knowing it will be his final appearance in international cricket.

Statistically, Sydney has been Khawaja’s fortress. He has amassed 875 runs from nine Tests at the venue, averaging an outstanding 87.50, with four centuries and a half-century to his name. Few Australian batters have enjoyed such dominance at the historic ground, making Cummins’ request far from unrealistic.

Also READ: Usman Khawaja announces retirement from international cricket, SCG Test to be his final bow

The comeback that defined Usman’s legacy

One of the defining moments of Khawaja’s career also came in Sydney. During the Ashes 2021–22 series, he returned to the Test side after more than two years away and announced himself in emphatic fashion by scoring twin centuries at the SCG. That performance reignited his international career and laid the foundation for a prolific two-year run at the top level.

Khawaja carried that form into overseas conditions, playing a crucial role in Australia’s memorable 2–2 Ashes draw in England in 2023. He finished that series as the leading run-scorer with 496 runs, underlining his importance at the top of the order.

Also READ: Ashes 2025-26: Shoaib Bashir returns as England unveil squad for the SCG Test

Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has stepped in amid the growing political storm surrounding Kolkata Knight Riders’ signing of Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman, asking the franchise to release the left-arm pacer from its squad ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League season. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development to PTI, stating that the board had communicated its decision to KKR in light of the prevailing situation. The intervention follows days of mounting pressure after KKR moved to rope in Mustafizur during the IPL auction, a decision that triggered sharp reactions beyond the cricketing sphere.

KKR had acquired the services of the 30-year-old left-armer for Rs 9.20 crore from a base price of Rs 2 crore after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the players’ auction last month. The franchise viewed Mustafizur as an experienced overseas option capable of bolstering its bowling attack. A political controversy erupted soon after the signing, with sections of the Bharatiya Janata Party and several religious organisations objecting to the inclusion of a Bangladeshi player in a Kolkata-based IPL franchise. The backlash has been rooted in the current strain in India–Bangladesh relations, as well as concerns being raised around reports of violence in the neighbouring country. Addressing the situation, Saikia clarified that KKR would be permitted to name a replacement player if required. “The BCCI has asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from its squad. They can ask for a replacement if needed, and upon request, the BCCI will allow a replacement player,” Saikia told PTI on Saturday. When asked about the reason behind the decision, the BCCI secretary said, “Because of recent developments all across.” The pressure on the board had been intensifying over the participation of the Bangladesh cricketer, particularly in the wake of the recent killing of a Hindu man in the country and India’s expression of concern regarding the safety of minorities there. What began as a cricketing call eventually evolved into a wider debate, drawing the league, the franchise and the BCCI into a sensitive geopolitical conversation.

India’s Sumit Nagal (AP/PTI)

Bengaluru: Sumit Nagal dropped his kit bag and stared at it for a moment before reaching for his rackets. He could barely look at the graphite sticks. A part of him wanted to obliterate them. The 28-year-old had just lost in straight sets to Frenchman Geoffrey Blancaneaux in the first round of an ATP Challenger in Lyon in early June. It was a defeat that stung — Nagal hadn’t dropped a set in four previous meetings with Blancaneaux.

Sensing the storm brewing inside India’s No.1, coach Sascha Nensel stepped in. He grabbed the bag and told Nagal to take a break, to simply get away from the tennis court. “Those back-to-back tournaments in Heilbronn and Lyon were bad,” Nagal says six months later, leaning forward in his seat at a luxury hotel in Bengaluru. “I was playing such bad tennis. I was missing, making a lot of errors. I’m hitting the ball, but I don’t know where it is going. It’s the worst place to be for a tennis player. Lyon was rock bottom.” From there, Nagal and Yash Pandey, friend and sports physiotherapist, drove nearly 370 km to the Swiss resort town of Interlaken. Over the next five days, the duo hiked through the Bernese Alps. They spoke occasionally, and slowly the weight Nagal had been carrying through the first half of 2025 began to lift. The slump had consequences. Nagal’s ranking fell out of the top 300 in the second half of last year, pushing him out of even the qualifying fields of Grand Slams. The slide felt steep because it came on the heels of his best season yet, when he had climbed to a career-high No.68. In a sport where the number beside a name becomes the player’s identity, the drop has meant that, for the first time in two years, Nagal, ranked No.277 this week, will miss the Australian Open from Jan 18. Instead, he will start his 2026 campaign next week in Bengaluru at an ATP 125 Challenger, where he’ll hope to kickstart his return to the top 100. “You are top 100, you don’t play well and in four months you are 180,” Nagal says. “Nobody likes to be 300 whatever. The tournaments are very different, prize money is different. The hardest part for me was that I wasn’t playing at the level I wanted to play. The mental part too is a challenge; you struggle with motivation.” A low-grade temperature early in 2025 disrupted Nagal’s schedule. It didn’t help either that he didn’t have much of a pre-season. “Going forward, I will do pre-seasons for four to six weeks, playing a maximum of one league, because that’s what works best for my body and my game,” he says. Some of the missteps, Nagal admits, came down to inexperience at that level. “This was the first time I was 68 in the world,” he says. “There were some matches when I was 80 or 90 that I could have done better in. It was a learning experience.” At 5 ft 11, Nagal relies heavily on his legs and all-round consistency. In hindsight, he feels he should have put the rackets away even for a week the moment mental focus began to slip. “I should have come home, for some love and ghar ka khana — mooli parathas, cheeni roti…” he says, laughing, his eyes lighting up.

Amid the New Year cheer, Amir Khan’s family has an additional reason to celebrate, as his daughter today marks 2 years of marital bliss with husband Nupur Shikhare. The special day certainly demanded a special post, and husband Nupur Shikhare made sure of it. Commemorating their second anniversary, Nupur Shikhare shared a 90s-style marriage video, which gained both love and laughter from his wife, Ira, and his followers on the gram.

Nupur Shikhare’s 90s-style adaptation of wedding pictures and special moments

Nupur shared a special video on their social media handle, which featured pictures from their wedding, as well as moments from their relationship. What made the video more special is that it has been curated in a 90s style. One can see their pictures revolving with vivid backgrounds. He also used Kumar Sanu’s famous 90s song ‘Ek Sanam Chahiye Aashiqui Ke Liye.’ Along with the same, Nupur wrote a beautiful message that read, “Happy 2nd Anniversary….Congratulations @khan.ira for successfully completing two years of being married to me, you are very brave…I love you #love #anniversary.”Check out the video here:

Ira Khan reciprocates the love

Reacting to the video, Ira Khan gave a playful reply. He hilariously commented, “It’s the easiest, most fun, and satisfying thing I’ve experienced. This video on the other hand…..” Below the same post, in another comment, Ira wrote, “love you @nupur.shikhare.” To this, the loving husband replied with red heart emoticons.However, if you feel the fun and the story end here; appartanly not. Ira also shared the same reel on her Instagram story and wrote, “This is what you get when you marry a 40 year old.”

In another story following it, Ira explained how the reel was funny. She confessed that many people of her generation and younger might not get it in the first go, but apparently, this is how wedding videos looked in the 90s. She was thus shown this clip with utter excitement, which initially she failed to understand.

NEW DELHI: In a major move to strengthen patient safety, India has, for the first time, brought blood components used in transfusions under uniform pharmacopoeial standards, tightening regulatory oversight of blood banks and transfusion services nationwide. The step is accompanied by stricter quality specifications for widely used medicines—from tuberculosis and diabetes drugs to cancer therapies—aimed at curbing risks from unsafe blood products and substandard medicines.Blood transfusion involves giving whole blood or specific blood components into a patient’s vein to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery or illness, and is essential for treating conditions such as severe anaemia, major surgery, trauma, cancer care, childbirth complications and inherited blood disorders.The measures were formalised with the release of Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026, India’s official book of drug standards, by Union health and family welfare and chemicals and fertilisers minister JP Nadda at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre on Friday.Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) standards are legally enforceable in India and accepted in courts, with regulators using them to ensure drug quality. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, sets and regularly updates these standards under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945.Published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission on behalf of the Ministry of health and family welfare, the Pharmacopoeia lays down authoritative and legally enforceable standards under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. These standards form the basis for licensing, inspection and distribution of medicines across the country.A major regulatory expansion in the 10th edition is the first-time inclusion of 20 monographs for blood components used in transfusion medicine, bringing blood banks and hospital transfusion services under clearer and more consistent oversight—an important safeguard for surgeries, trauma care and maternal health.The monographs cover standards for whole blood and blood components, including whole blood (standard and irradiated); a wide range of red cell products (packed, additive solution, leucodepleted, buffy coat removed, cryopreserved and washed RBCs); plasma components such as fresh frozen plasma (from whole blood and apheresis), cryoprecipitate and cryo-poor plasma; platelet products including PRP, pooled and random donor platelets, buffy coat and apheresis-derived platelets (including additive solution and double units); and granulocyte components obtained through apheresis or buffy coat pooling.The edition also tightens the country’s drug safety framework by adding 121 new drug standards, taking the total number of monographs to 3,340. Each monograph specifies how a medicine must be manufactured, tested, stored and labelled, strengthening regulators’ ability to act against sub-standard or unsafe products.A key public-interest gain is the expanded and sharper coverage of medicines used under national health programmes. Drugs for tuberculosis, diabetes and cancer—relied upon by millions for long-term treatment—will now be subject to more uniform quality checks, a critical safeguard for patients dependent on public healthcare systems.Officials said the revised standards will also strengthen safety surveillance. Highlighting the progress of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) under the IPC, Nadda said India—ranked 123rd globally during 2009–2014 in contributions to the World Health Organization’s pharmacovigilance database—has now climbed to 8th position worldwide in 2025, reflecting faster reporting of adverse drug reactions and stronger regulatory action.With public healthcare bearing the bulk of the country’s disease burden, Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 is expected to directly strengthen blood safety, improve medicine quality and enhance patient protection across the healthcare system.

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