Authorities in Nepal have extended a curfew in Birgunj, a city near the Indian border, after clashes linked to a TikTok video led to communal tension. The dispute began in Dhanusha district after a video was posted with remarks said to hurt religious feelings. Two youths were later handed to police. The situation worsened after a mosque was vandalised in Kamala Municipality. Protests spread to Birgunj, where groups held rallies, burned tyres and ignored a ban on gatherings. The Parsa district office imposed a curfew in several areas and later extended it till Tuesday evening. Security forces were given special powers to enforce the order. (PC: HT)

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has welcomed the arrest of Nicolás Maduro by US forces, calling it “a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity”. She spoke to Fox News hours after Maduro appeared before a court in New York. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized from their Caracas residence on Saturday and flown to the United States in a special forces mission. Machado said she was grateful to President Donald Trump for the action. She left Venezuela last month to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. In court on Monday, Maduro said, “I am still president,” and pleaded not guilty to drug and other charges. (PC: BBC)

Venezuela’s ousted leader Nicolas Maduro told a New York court that he is still the country’s president as he pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges. The hearing marked his first appearance in the United States after he and his wife Cilia Flores were seized in Caracas and flown to New York. Images earlier showed the couple being moved in handcuffs under heavy guard. During the session, a brief exchange took place between Maduro and a member of the public. Outside the courthouse, small groups of protesters gathered with signs for and against the US action. Meanwhile, Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president in Caracas. (PC: BBC)

The India Meteorological Department has warned that dense fog and cold wave conditions will affect large parts of the country on Tuesday. Morning fog is likely over northwest, central, east and northeast India. Cold wave alerts are in place for parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand. The weather office said night temperatures may fall further due to weak western systems. In the past day, visibility dropped to near zero in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, disrupting road and air travel. Very dense fog may continue in isolated areas of Punjab, Haryana, east Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. Clear skies later may lead to colder nights and fresh fog by morning. (PC: India Today)

US President Donald Trump has again said the United States needs Greenland for national security. He told reporters that the island is vital for defence and early missile warning. Greenland is part of NATO through Denmark and lies on the shortest route between Europe and North America. The US already runs the Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest. Experts say the area helps track Russian naval movement. Greenland also holds large deposits of minerals such as lithium and rare earths, though oil and gas drilling is banned. The island has wide self-rule but remains under Denmark’s constitution. Both Greenland and Denmark rejected Trump’s offer to buy the island in 2019. (PC: NDTV)

A past visit by Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to India has drawn fresh attention after his capture by the United States. The former Venezuelan leader, raised Catholic, was introduced to Sathya Sai Baba through Flores. The couple travelled to the Prasanthi Nilayam ashram in Puttaparthi in 2005 for a private meeting. A photo from the visit is now circulating online. Reports say Maduro later kept a portrait of the guru in his office and backed official tributes after Sai Baba’s death in 2011. The Sathya Sai organisation continues to operate in Venezuela, which has a large devotee base. (PC: India Today)

Former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty in a US court in New York on Monday. Speaking through an interpreter, Maduro told the judge he was “captured” and called himself a “decent man” and Venezuela’s president. He denied all charges against him. Maduro faces charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. US prosecutors allege links with international criminal groups. His wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty and said she is Venezuela’s first lady. The case follows Maduro’s capture in Caracas, which has drawn global attention. Venezuela and its allies have criticised the US action.

A 45-year-old Hindu factory owner and acting newspaper editor, Rana Pratap, was shot in the head by men on a motorcycle in Bangladesh's Jashore district on Monday evening. Attackers called him from his ice factory, led him to an alley, and fired multiple rounds, leaving seven bullet casings. Local sources claim Pratap had multiple legal cases and alleged extremist group connections, though he was acquitted in all cases. This killing follows recent atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, including a widow's rape, hair-cutting incident, and murders of Khokon Chandra Das, Amrit Mondal, and Dipu Chandra Das. India condemned the violence, expressing concern over "unremitting hostility" against minorities under Muhammad Yunus's interim government. (PC: NDTV)

The Bangladesh government has ordered an immediate ban on the telecast of the Indian Premier League across the country. The move follows a row over the removal of fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the 2026 season. In a statement, the government said it was not aware of any clear reason for the decision by the Indian board and called it painful for the people of Bangladesh. The order said all IPL matches and related shows must stop until further notice. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has also asked the ICC to move its T20 World Cup matches out of India. (PC: NDTV)

The India Meteorological Department has warned that dense fog will continue in many parts of north, central, east and northeast India for the next four to five days. Visibility has fallen below 50 metres in some areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttarakhand. Cold day conditions are likely in parts of Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh this week. A cold wave is expected in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh from January 6. Light rain or snow may occur in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Minimum temperatures may drop by two to three degrees. (PC: HT)