The BJP and its Mahayuti allies have won 68 seats unopposed in the Maharashtra civic polls, voting for which will be held on January 15. Across the State, as many as 68 candidates from the BJP and the Mahayuti have been elected unopposed, reflecting the party's growing strength in urban local bodies, BJP leader Keshav Upadhye said on Friday (January 2, 2026). https://newsth.live/cNvscw

The BCCI, on Saturday (January 3, 2026), officially directed the Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad for the 2026 IPL season. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the move, citing “recent developments all across” as the reason for the decision. https://newsth.live/zAntJ0

The Congress High Command on Friday (January 2, 2026) appointed district presidents in 11 districts of Himachal Pradesh, more than 13 months after the State, district and block units were dissolved. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the appointments as part of the party’s ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan’, a release issued by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said. https://newsth.live/aLiFcZ

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been captured and flown from the country, President Donald Trump announced early on Saturday (January 3, 2026) after confirming that the U.S. forces conducted what he called “a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader”. https://newsth.live/M9yMwZ

Maharashtra State Election Commission has ordered a probe into reports of unopposed elections of candidates in the State for the municipal corporation elections to be held on January 15. “We have asked all the local authorities to submit a report to us. This is a part of routine process whenever other candidates withdraw nominations and only one candidate remains in the fray,” an official of the State Election Commission told The Hindu. He said that the SEC will check if the nominations were withdrawn under duress, due to any pressure or due to any allurement. https://newsth.live/kcskYG

In a major setback to Left Front legislator and former Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Nedumangadu, on Saturday (January 3, 2026) found the Thiruvananthapuram MLA guilty of forging and planting material evidence in a nearly two-decades-old evidence tampering case. The court is expected to pronounce the quantum of the sentence soon. https://newsth.live/3gcXfY

“A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Shimla has declared two promoters of a Himachal Pradesh-based private University as Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged fake degree scam in Himachal Pradesh,” officials said. https://newsth.live/YjxNpS