Suspected Pakistani drones were spotted in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba and Poonch districts, marking the third such sighting this week despite Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi's stern warning to Pakistan. In Samba's Ramgarh sector, a drone was sighted near Keso Mahansan village, prompting high alert and countermeasures. Another drone-like object appeared over Degwar village in Poonch around 7:30 pm, with the Indian Army firing rounds to neutralize it. General Dwivedi stated India has Pakistan "on notice" regarding unmanned aerial vehicle activity along the Line of Control, calling it "unacceptable." During Tuesday's Director General of Military Operations level talks, India demanded Pakistan "rein in its drones." The Army chief described them as small defensive drones possibly monitoring Indian border activity. 

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)

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)

Air India cancelled at least three US-bound flights on Thursday after Iran closed its airspace without notice. The shutdown forced Indian carriers to reroute long-haul services that normally pass over Iran. Two Delhi to New York and Newark flights and one Mumbai to New York service were cancelled, sources said. The airline warned that some Europe routes may also face delays. Air India said flights over the region are using longer alternate paths, which may cause delays or more cancellations. IndiGo and SpiceJet also issued travel advisories, saying some international flights were impacted by the sudden closure. (PC: The Telegraph)

Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police claimed in a confidential report that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang operates "on behalf of the Indian government," despite being designated a terrorist organization. The three-page RCMP intelligence review, obtained by Global News, mentions alleged Indian government ties six times while tracking the gang's expanding Canadian footprint. The report describes Bishnoi's organization as involved in extortion, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and assassinations motivated by "greed" rather than political or religious reasons. Indian Ambassador Dinesh Patnaik countered by highlighting Canada's 40-year inaction on terrorism despite India's warnings, questioning how these elements entered Canada initially. The allegations emerge as India-Canada relations tentatively recover. (PC: Reuters)

Two Indian PhD students at University of Colorado Boulder won a $200,000 (₹1.8 crore) civil rights settlement after facing discrimination over cooking Indian food. Aditya Prakash, 34, was confronted in September 2023 about palak paneer's "pungent smell" while heating lunch in a departmental microwave. His partner, Urmi Bhattacheryya, 35, supported him and was subsequently fired from her teaching assistant position without explanation. The university withheld their master's degrees and created a hostile environment. Their lawsuit argued the reaction to cultural food manifested "systemic bias" against international students. In September 2025, the university settled, paying $200,000 and conferring degrees, though barring future enrollment or employment. (PC: Instagram)

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar received a call from Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi discussing the evolving situation amid massive anti-government protests in Iran. India has issued a fresh advisory urging all nationals including students, pilgrims, businesspersons, and tourists to leave Iran immediately and avoid non-essential travel. Protests erupted in late December after the rial plunged to record lows, spreading across all 31 provinces with rights groups reporting over 2,500 deaths during the crackdown. The US has begun withdrawing personnel from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as precaution, while Trump threatens intervention. Iran warned regional countries hosting American forces about possible retaliation if Washington strikes. (PC: PTI)

Two Indian PhD students, Aditya Prakash and Urmi Bhattacheryya, secured a $200,000 (around ₹1.8 crore) civil rights settlement from the University of Colorado Boulder after alleging discrimination linked to a 2023 incident involving palak paneer. Prakash was reportedly told not to heat his lunch in a shared microwave because of its “pungent smell,” which they say led to hostile treatment, retaliation and lost opportunities. The couple filed a federal lawsuit claiming a discriminatory environment and kitchen policies biased against South Asians. The settlement also included the granting of their Master’s degrees, though the university denied liability and barred them from future enrolment or employment. (PC: India Today)

India has asked all its citizens in Iran, including students, pilgrims, businesspeople and tourists, to leave the country as unrest continues, according to an advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran on January 14. The advisory also urges Indians to keep travel and identity documents ready and to stay in contact with the embassy for support. It told citizens to avoid protest areas and monitor local developments. The Ministry of External Affairs has strongly advised all Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice. The warnings come as nationwide protests in Iran have grown violent and the death toll has risen. (PC: India Today)