In this Special Report, host Gaurav Sawant examines the imminent conclusion of a landmark Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal indicate the deal may be finalised during the EU leadership visit for India's Republic Day on January 26, 2026. The pact aims to link markets totalling nearly two billion people. The programme also covers a significant leadership transition within the Bharatiya Janata Party as Nitin Nabeen assumes the role of party president, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledging the generational shift. Geopolitical analysis focusses on US President Donald Trump’s claims over Greenland and potential tariffs against Denmark, alongside insights from Professor Latham and Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar. Additionally, the report features Indian CEOs Natarajan Chandrasekaran and Sunil Bharti Mittal meeting President Trump at Davos. Further coverage includes Reza Pahlavi’s address to the Iranian people and the strategic security implications of melting Arctic ice caps on international territorial claims.
The Union Cabinet passed a resolution and gave a standing ovation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for becoming the longest-serving elected head of the government over three consecutive terms. The Prime Minister completed 4,399 consecutive days in office, surpassing the previous record of 4,398 uninterrupted days held by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, since the first general elections in 1952.
An India Today report details a political development as a Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament resigns from the Rajya Sabha and the party. Sources indicate the parliamentarian is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party after meeting the Assam Chief Minister in New Delhi. This marks the second such resignation from the Trinamool Congress within a week, pointing to defections across both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rebel parliamentarians have reportedly held meetings in the national capital, affecting the party's parliamentary strength. The shrinking opposition numbers in the upper house could assist the ruling party at the centre in passing legislation, including delimitation and the women's reservation bill. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress is seeking legal assistance from the Congress party to navigate the crisis and challenge the defections. The situation remains developing as more parliamentarians are reportedly considering switching allegiances in the coming days.
Israel is preparing to erect a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Jewish country, and bringing to spotlight an overlooked historical connection between Jews and India.
A thirty-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker has been charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The suspect allegedly attempted to behead a man, leaving the victim in his forties with severe injuries to his head, neck, and face.
