Bangladesh captain Litton Das has said players are uncertain about taking part in the T20 World Cup 2026 amid a venue dispute. “We’re not even sure yet whether we’ll go to the World Cup at all,” Das said. He added that players do not know where they will play or who their opponents will be. “No player knows which country we are going to or whom we will play against,” he said. Das also said the Bangladesh Cricket Board did not consult players before deciding not to play matches in India. The BCB has asked the ICC to shift Bangladesh’s games to Sri Lanka. Talks between the ICC and BCB remain unresolved. (PC: Mint)

US President Donald Trump has paused planned tariff threats against several European nations after talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump said the two sides agreed on a “framework of a future deal” linked to Greenland and the wider Arctic region. He said the tariffs due from February 1 would not take effect. However, Trump repeated his interest in Greenland, citing security needs, missile defence plans and access to critical minerals. He said further talks would continue under senior US officials. NATO chief Rutte said Greenland’s status did not come up in talks. Denmark welcomed the pause but stressed respect for its sovereignty and Greenlandic rights. (PC: HT)

Rescue workers are searching for people missing after landslides hit parts of New Zealand’s North Island following days of heavy rain. Several people are unaccounted for after a landslide struck a campsite at Mount Maunganui, a popular tourist area. Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said at least one young girl is among those missing. Rescuers said there were no signs of life at the site so far. Another landslide in nearby Papamoa left one person seriously injured, with two others missing. The Bay of Plenty region has faced strong winds, flooding and power outages. Search teams are continuing operations overnight despite difficult conditions. (PC: BBC)

Nearly 60 per cent of orders issued in the last three years by the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority cited breaches of its communal harmony code. Records show the NBDSA passed 54 orders between January 2023 and December 2025. Of these, 32 cases involved religious stereotyping or communal narratives. The regulator is set up by the News Broadcasters and Digital Association. Most penalties directed channels to remove content fully or partly. Financial fines were imposed in only six cases, totalling Rs 3.2 lakh. The review also found long delays in decisions, often over 11 months, leaving disputed content online during review. (PC: The Indian Express)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has praised India head coach Gautam Gambhir, calling his role the “hardest job after the Prime Minister.” The remark followed a meeting in Nagpur ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand. Tharoor shared a photo on X and said Gambhir faces constant public scrutiny but remains calm. He described Gambhir as an old friend and praised his leadership. Responding on X, Gambhir thanked Tharoor for the support and said debates around a coach’s authority would settle with time. The five-match T20I series is part of India’s build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026. (PC: X)

Sanjeev Khirwar, a 1994-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer, has been appointed the new Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by the Union Home Ministry, succeeding Ashwani Kumar. Khirwar returns to Delhi after being transferred to Ladakh in 2022, following a major public row in which he was accused of clearing Thyagraj Stadium early so he could walk his dog, prompting outrage over misuse of public facilities. His appointment comes as the MCD prepares its budget and tackles administrative and financial challenges. Public reactions remain mixed given his past controversy. (PC: India Today)

A Korean tourist has accused a Bengaluru airport staff member of molestation during a baggage check. The incident occurred on January 19 at Kempegowda International Airport, after immigration clearance. The woman, Kim Sung Kyung, spoke to India Today TV and allowed her name. Police identified the accused as Afan Ahmed, an airport staffer. The FIR says he claimed a beeping sound in her check-in bag. He warned a counter check could delay her flight. He then suggested a personal check near a washroom. The woman reported the matter immediately to airport security. The accused was detained and handed to police, who opened an investigation. (PC: India Today)

A 32-year-old South Korean woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ground staff member at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on January 19 while attempting to board a flight home. The accused, identified as Mohammed Affann Ahmed, an Air India SATS ground handler, reportedly approached her after immigration checks, claimed her bag beeped and offered a separate “manual frisking.” Instead of taking her to an authorised security area, he led her near the men’s washroom, touched her inappropriately, hugged her, and then walked off, according to the complaint. The woman immediately reported the incident, and CCTV footage supported her account. The airport security detained Ahmed and handed him to police, who registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested him; further investigations are underway. 

In the early hours of Thursday, a private bus travelling from Nellore to Hyderabad suffered a tyre burst, lost control, jumped the median and collided head-on with an oncoming container truck near Shirivellametta in Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh. The impact caused a massive fire that engulfed both vehicles, killing the bus driver, the truck driver, and the truck cleaner, all charred beyond recognition. About 36 passengers were on board; several were injured, with more than 10 sustaining burn or jump-related injuries and taken to Nandyal Government Hospital. A passing DCM driver broke windows to help passengers escape safely. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. (PC: HT)

The House of Lords voted 261–150 to support an Australian-style ban on social media use for under-16s, amending the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Peers urged MPs to consider the measure, citing rising online harms impacting children’s wellbeing and education. Campaigners, including actor Hugh Grant, backed the amendment, arguing parents are in an “impossible position” over children’s exposure to harmful content. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced a three-month consultation that will assess a ban’s pros and cons, possible overnight curfews and measures to curb “doom-scrolling,” with results due in summer. Critics say delay risks further harm. (PC: PA)