Ukraine has officially recorded 55,000 soldiers killed in the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with French channel France 2. He said the figure covers both professional troops and conscripts killed on the battlefield. “Officially the number of soldiers killed on the battlefield… is 55,000,” Zelensky said. He added that many people are still listed as missing. The last official update from him in December 2024 put the toll at 43,000. Kyiv and Moscow rarely publish their own loss figures. Zelensky noted that missing cases remain high and some may be prisoners of war or unidentified dead.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav broke his silence on Pakistan’s decision to boycott their T20 World Cup match against India and said his team is ready to play. The match is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo. Speaking before the tournament, he said, “We did not say no. The refusal has come from their side.” He added that the ICC confirmed the fixture and the government cleared a neutral venue. “Our flight to Colombo is booked. We are going,” he said. Pakistan’s government has asked its team not to play India. If Pakistan do not show up, India could receive a walkover and two points. (PC: HT)

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman and close ally of former President Nicolás Maduro, has reportedly been arrested in Caracas as part of a joint operation between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities, according to U.S. law enforcement and Colombian media reports. Saab, once held in the United States on bribery and money-laundering charges and granted clemency for a prisoner swap, was detained early Wednesday and is expected to be extradited to the U.S. in the coming days. Government figures have neither fully confirmed nor denied the arrest, and his lawyer has called reports “fake news.” (PC: Reuters)

In Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, three sisters aged 12, 14 and 16 tragically died by suicide after jumping from their ninth-floor home, shocking the nation. Police and family sources say the girls were deeply immersed in Korean pop culture — from K-dramas and K-pop to online games and adopting Korean online personas — and became distressed when their mobile phones were confiscated by their father. An eight-page suicide note revealed their intense attachment to Korean culture and frustration over restrictions, while experts highlight broader concerns about teen screen addiction, emotional isolation, and mental health in a digital age. (PC: NDTV)

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor strongly criticized The Washington Post for laying off his son Ishaan Tharoor, calling the decision “bizarre” and a “perverse act of self-immolation,” given his widely read WorldView column with over 500,000 subscribers. Ishaan, a senior international affairs columnist who launched the newsletter in 2017, confirmed his layoff on X, sharing that he was “heartbroken” for his newsroom colleagues as part of sweeping cuts that affected more than 300 journalists — about one-third of the paper’s staff — amid organisational restructuring and closure of key departments. (PC: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Thursday modified its January 2017 order that had barred Anurag Thakur from involvement in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) affairs, saying he is now free to participate according to its rules. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi applied the doctrine of proportionality, noting that the earlier “cease and desist” direction was not meant to be a lifelong ban. Thakur, a former BCCI president and Union minister, had tendered an unqualified apology in 2017, leading to dropping of contempt proceedings. (PC: ANI)

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he advised PM Narendra Modi not to enter the House to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address after receiving information that Congress MPs might surround the Prime Minister’s chair and “do something unexpected” during proceedings, risking an “unpleasant scene.” The House was repeatedly disrupted by opposition protests, with several MPs moving toward the PM’s seat before the scheduled speech, leading to adjournment and cancellation of the address. Birla described the behaviour as inappropriate for parliamentary tradition, while the Opposition has denied the claims and accused the government of avoiding debate. (PC: HT)

The Washington Post has laid off its Ukraine correspondent Lizzie Johnson as part of wide staff cuts across the newsroom. Johnson said she received the notice while reporting from the war zone. “I was just laid off… in the middle of a war zone. I have no words. I’m devastated,” she wrote on social media. The paper is owned by Jeff Bezos and is reducing about one-third of its staff, according to company statements. Several foreign bureaus and the sports desk are also affected. The editor said the paper needs “a new way forward” after financial losses.

Delhi Police have arrested two men accused of writing pro-Khalistan slogans at two places in the capital ahead of Republic Day. Investigators said the men were acting on instructions linked to US-based separatist figure Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his group Sikhs For Justice. Police said a Canada-based associate arranged the plan and offered ₹2 lakh for the act. One accused works as an ambulance driver, while the other is his associate. Officials said the goal was to “create unrest” before January 26. An FIR was filed earlier after a threat video surfaced online. Police said further searches are underway. (PC: X)

India responded to US President Donald Trump’s claim that New Delhi agreed to stop buying Russian oil, saying its main focus remains national energy security. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said meeting the needs of 1.4 billion people is the “supreme priority”. He said India will diversify supplies based on market conditions and global developments. Trump earlier said India would cut Russian oil imports and buy more from the US and possibly Venezuela after the trade deal announcement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the trade deal but did not mention Russian oil. Russia said it has received no official word from India. (PC: X)