Voting commenced on January 15, 2026, across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the high-profile Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), after years of delay. Around 3.48 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 15,931 candidates contesting 2,869 seats in urban local bodies statewide. Polling, held from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will see results declared on January 16. Tight security has been deployed, and the contest in Mumbai has drawn particular attention given its wealth and political significance. Exit polls suggest a strong showing for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance. (PC: The Hindu)

The Government of India is set to begin evacuating Indian nationals stranded in Iran as early as January 16 due to widespread protests and deteriorating safety conditions across the country, officials said. The Indian Embassy in Tehran is physically reaching out to students and others, as internet and phone services remain unreliable, to identify who wishes to return home. Preparations are underway to fly the first batch of evacuees to Delhi, while authorities stand ready to respond swiftly to evolving security concerns. Citizens have been urged to stay in contact with the mission and exercise caution amid the crisis. (PC: AP)

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on January 15 that he had been assured by “very important sources” in Tehran that the killing of protesters in Iran has stopped and that planned executions will not take place, though the U.S. has not independently verified these claims. Trump, who had previously warned of possible military action over the violent crackdown on nationwide protests, said he would “watch and see” before deciding on further steps. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed that “hanging is out of the question,” denying any execution plans. The move appeared to ease immediate fears of escalation, even as the broader unrest and international scrutiny continue. (PC: Reuters)

Three years after what is believed to be Canada’s largest gold heist — the disappearance of 400 kg (about 6,600 bars) of .9999-pure gold and C$2.5 million in cash from Toronto Pearson International Airport in April 2023 — investigators are closing in on a key suspect. Peel Regional Police have arrested one accused, Arsalan Chaudhary, at Toronto airport, and charged him in the cross-border probe dubbed Project 24K. Canadian authorities have issued a warrant and extradition request for Simran Preet Panesar, a former Air Canada manager who was found living near Chandigarh with his family. (PC: HT)

An Air India Airbus A350 operating Flight AI101 from Delhi to New York suffered engine damage on Jan 15, 2026, when a baggage container was sucked into its right engine while taxiing at Indira Gandhi International Airport in dense fog, the airline said. The flight had returned to Delhi shortly after takeoff due to an unexpected closure of Iranian airspace, and the incident occurred after landing. All passengers and crew were safe, and the aircraft has since been grounded for investigation and repairs, with possible disruptions to some A350 routes. India’s aviation regulator DGCA has launched a probe into the cause of the unusual foreign‐object ingestion. 

The BJP-led Mahayuti is set for a big win in the Mumbai civic polls, according to the Axis My India exit poll released on Thursday. The survey predicts the alliance will win between 131 and 151 of the 227 wards in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is expected to get 58 to 68 wards, while the Congress may secure 12 to 16. The majority mark in the BMC is 114. Voting was held after a delay of four years. The civic body has an annual budget of more than ₹74,400 crore, making it India’s richest municipal corporation.

Four astronauts from NASA, Roscosmos and JAXA returned safely to Earth on January 15, 2026, after the International Space Station’s first-ever medical evacuation. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour undocked and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, completing a roughly 11-hour re-entry. The early return came over a month ahead of schedule after one crew member developed a serious but stable medical issue that could not be fully addressed in orbit. NASA did not disclose the astronaut’s identity or condition. The event marks a major milestone in spaceflight safety procedures.

Iran’s judiciary has said protester Erfan Soltani was not sentenced to death, state media reported on Thursday. The statement came after Soltani’s family said they were earlier told his execution had been postponed. Soltani, 26, worked at a clothing shop and was arrested last week after taking part in protests in north-west Tehran. Rights groups had said he was the first protester to receive a death sentence during the current unrest. Iranian authorities did not explain why reports about the sentence had changed. The update came as Iran announced the reopening of its airspace after days of disruption caused by the nationwide security situation. (PC: The Guardian)

India is preparing to sign a free trade deal with the European Union later this month that will exclude agriculture, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. She told EU lawmakers the pact would be finalised “without agriculture”, calling it a major step for trade ties. Von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa are due to visit India on January 27 to sign the agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The deal is set to cut tariffs on selected goods, including high duties on European wine and spirits. It will be the EU’s biggest trade pact and India’s 19th agreement. (PC: India Today)

An IndiGo flight bound for Delhi crossed Iranian airspace just minutes before Tehran closed its skies early Thursday, flight data showed. The aircraft passed over Iran around 2.35 am, while the closure began at about 3 am. The move forced airlines to divert or cancel several services on key east-west routes. IndiGo’s Baku–Delhi flight later turned back to Azerbaijan as it could not overfly Iran. Air India cancelled early morning flights to New York and Newark and rerouted others. SpiceJet and foreign carriers also issued advisories. Iran reopened its airspace after more than four hours, but delays continued. (PC: NDTV)