Daily Current Affairs Brief: January 25, 2026

Authored By: K Shiva

1. International Current Affairs

• Trump's "Board of Peace": U.S. President Donald Trump inaugurated a "Board of Peace" in Davos aimed at overseeing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, asserting it could eventually rival the United Nations.

• Canada-China Trade Conflict: Trump threatened Canada with a 100% tariff on all goods if it proceeds with a trade deal with China, claiming China would "eat Canada alive" and destroy its social fabric.

• US Federal Raid Violence: U.S. federal agents killed a man in Minneapolis during an immigration crackdown, leading Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to demand that federal agents leave the state.

• US-India Oil Tariff Relief: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled a prospective removal of the 25% penalty tariff on India for Russian oil purchases, citing the successful "collapse" of Indian purchases of Russian crude.

• Mass US Flight Cancellations: Over 9,000 flights across the U.S. were cancelled as a major winter storm, expected to rival a hurricane in damage, bore down from New Mexico to New England.

• India’s Vote on Iran: India joined China and Pakistan in voting against a UN Human Rights Council resolution that censured Iran for its crackdown on protests.

2. National Current Affairs

• Jharkhand Anti-Maoist Operation: Security forces killed 16 Maoists, including top leader Anmol (carrying a ₹2.35 crore reward), in a major joint operation in West Singhbhum.

• J&K Army Truck Accident: Ten soldiers were martyred when their Army truck fell into a deep gorge in a high-altitude area of Jammu & Kashmir.

• Judiciary Independence Debate: Supreme Court judge Ujjal Bhuyan expressed dissent over the collegium’s decision to transfer a judge at the Centre's suggestion, calling executive influence "unfortunate" and a threat to judicial freedom.

• New BJP National President: Nitin Nabin (45) officially took charge as the youngest-ever National President of the BJP, succeeding J.P. Nadda.

• Rosgar Mela Appointments: PM Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 18th Rosgar Mela, distributing appointment letters to over 61,000 newly recruited government personnel.

• Viksit Bharat Rural Act: The government highlighted the "Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)" Act, 2025, which guarantees 125 days of wage employment.

3. Science & Technology

• UP AI Mission: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the ₹2,000 crore "UP AI Mission" to implement AI-driven healthcare solutions and establish 65 Data & AI labs.

• Hypersonic Missile Showcase: DRDO is set to display its Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) during the 77th Republic Day parade.

• Stem Cell Excellence at NIMS: A state-of-the-art Stem Cell Lab Centre of Excellence was inaugurated at NIMS, Hyderabad, to advance regenerative medicine research.

• Alzheimer's AI Diagnostic: A diagnostic chain in India introduced an AI-integrated blood biomarker test (PTAU/ABetal 42) to support early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

• Sonic Boom Tracking: Researchers successfully used seismometers to detect sonic booms from space debris, specifically analyzing the reentry trajectory of the Shenzhou-15 module.

• SpaceTech Summit: The Andhra Pradesh Space Tech Summit-2026 concluded at Vignan’s University, featuring major student rocketry challenges.

4. States Current Affairs (AP & Telangana)

• AP Investment Milestone: CM Chandrababu Naidu announced that Andhra Pradesh has secured ₹20 lakh crore in investment commitments within 18 months and bags 5% of India's total FDI.

• Telangana Steel Plant Deal: The Telangana delegation at Davos secured a ₹12,500 crore commitment from the Rashmi Group for a new steel plant.

• Amaravati Republic Day: Amaravati is set to host its maiden Republic Day celebrations as the official capital of Andhra Pradesh.

• Swachhandhra Development: CM Naidu inaugurated development projects worth ₹573 crore under the Swachhandhra initiative, including 110 Integrated Solid Waste Management units.

• TG Governor’s Excellence Awards: The awardees for 2025 were announced, recognizing individuals like Rama Devi Kanneganti and organizations like Sri Sai Social Empowerment Society.

• Andhra IT Expansion: Minister Nara Lokesh urged global firms like Capgemini and Tech Mahindra to expand their skill development and IT hubs in Vizag and Vijayawada.

5. District & Local News

• Nandyal Bus Tragedy: Three people died and 36 escaped when a private bus collided with a lorry and caught fire in Nandyal district.

• Hyderabad Fire Safety Probe: The Telangana State Human Rights Commission registered a complaint regarding a major fire at a furniture shop in Nampally, citing serious lapses by authorities.

• Tiger Alert in Eluru: Forest officials in Eluru identified a sub-adult male tiger passing through the Buttayagudem area after crossing over from Telangana.

• Surat Bullet Train Accident: A man and his nine-year-old daughter died near Surat after a heavy metal plate fell from an under-construction bullet train bridge.

• Hyderabad Elevated Corridor: HMDA announced a new 9-km elevated corridor for Western Hyderabad, estimated to cost ₹1,656 crore to ease traffic.

• Mhow Health Crisis: At least 22 people in Mhow, MP, fell ill due to jaundice suspected to be caused by contaminated drinking water.

6. Sports & Games

• India Leads T20 Series: India took a 2-0 lead in the T20 series against New Zealand after a convincing victory in Raipur powered by Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan.

• Bangladesh Out of T20 World Cup: The ICC officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the 2026 T20 World Cup after the BCB refused to play matches in India.

• Djokovic's 400th Win: Novak Djokovic reached the Australian Open pre-quarters, becoming the first player in history to win 400 Grand Slam matches.

• Australian Open Withdrawals: Two-time champion Naomi Osaka withdrew before the third round due to a physical issue, giving Maddison Inglis a walkover.

• Gukesh's Chess Blunder: World Champion D. Gukesh suffered an unimaginable loss to Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusatorov in the Tata Steel Chess tournament following a late-game blunder.

• Maiden Test Call-ups: Pratika Rawal, Vaishnavi Sharma, and Kranti Gaud received their first Test call-ups for India’s upcoming one-off Test against Australia in Perth.

7. Cinema & Entertainment

• Oscar Nominations Record: Ryan Coogler’s Sinners led the 98th Academy Award nominations with a record-breaking 16 nods.

• Varun Tej’s New Film: On his birthday, Varun Tej’s next film was officially titled Korean Kanakaraju, a horror-comedy project.

• OTT Releases: The mystic thriller Shambala starring Sai Kumar is set for release on Aha, and the series Space Zen Chandrayaan is arriving on JioHotstar.

• Visakha Utsav: The annual cultural festival "Visakha Utsav" began on January 24 in Visakhapatnam.

• Legendary Designer Passing: The world of fashion mourned the death of Italian designer Valentino Garavani at age 93.

• Meera Bhansali’s Poetry: Poet Meera Bhansali released Nocturnal Foghes, a collection exploring paranormal and Gothic themes in Indian English verse.

8. General Knowledge (Competitive Jobs)

1. Which important national day is observed in India today, 25 January, to mark the foundation of the Election Commission? Answer: National Voters' Day (Rashtriya Matdata Diwas) (The day has been celebrated since 2011 to encourage young voters to participate in the democratic process.)

2. What is the theme for National Voters' Day 2026? Answer: "My India, My Vote" (The tagline for this year's theme is "Citizen at the Heart of Indian Democracy.")

3. Which day is also celebrated in India on 25 January to promote the country's diverse culture and heritage? Answer: National Tourism Day (The day focuses on the economic and social importance of tourism to the nation.)

4. Who have arrived in New Delhi today, 25 January 2026, to be the Chief Guests for the 77th Republic Day? Answer: Antonio Costa (President of the European Council) and Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission).

5. Which Indian statutory body has recently launched "EPFO 3.0," a major digital reform for social security? Answer: Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) (The reform aims to introduce a centralized core banking-like solution for nearly 8 crore active members.)

6. Which Indian teenage tennis player, along with partner Andre Göransson, advanced to the Pre-Quarterfinals of the Australian Open 2026 today? Answer: Yuki Bhambri (The duo reached the Round of 16 in the Men's Doubles event at Melbourne Park.)

7. In which city is the 3rd T20 match between India and New Zealand being played today, 25 January? Answer: Guwahati (Barsapara Stadium) (India is currently leading the 5-match T20 International series.)

8. Which country has recently reported a major "Norovirus" outbreak (stomach flu) in a senior high school affecting over 100 students? Answer: China (Foshan city) (Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines.)

9. Who became India’s first female Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, taking oath recently? Answer: Justice Revati Mohite-Dere (She was previously a judge at the Bombay High Court.)

10. In the Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, India defeated which team by seven wickets today to top their group? Answer: New Zealand (India finished the group stage unbeaten and advanced to the Super Six stage.)

11. Urban Housing Shortage: Reports indicate India needs 14 million affordable urban homes immediately, rising to 30 million by 2030.

9. Do You Know?

• SThe Voters' Birthday: The Election Commission of India (ECI) was founded on January 25, 1950, exactly one day before India became a Republic. This is why we celebrate Voters' Day today.

• EPIC Growth: The first Electronic Voter Photo Identity Card (e-EPIC) was launched on National Voters' Day in 2021, allowing voters to download their ID cards on their phones just like an Aadhaar card.

• "Detour Destinations": A major trend in Indian tourism for 2026 is the rise of "Detour Destinations"—travelers are skipping major cities like Delhi or Mumbai to visit smaller, culturally rich towns like Ziro (Arunachal) or Ponduru (Andhra Pradesh).

• Extreme Heat in Melbourne: Outdoor matches at the Australian Open were suspended today due to extreme heat reaching nearly 40°C, forcing officials to close the roofs on the main stadiums.

• ISS Escape Pods: Spacecraft like the SpaceX Dragon and Soyuz serve as permanent "lifeboats" for the International Space Station.

• Bark Spider Silk: Research shows female bark spiders in Madagascar produce silk that is significantly tougher than that of males.

• Voter Discrepancy Case: In Asansol, West Bengal, an AI scan found a single man registered as the "father" of 389 different voters.

10. Job & Educational Topics

• RBI Vacancies: The Reserve Bank of India is accepting applications for 572 Office Attendant posts until February 4, 2026.

• Intermediate Exam Schedule: Annual board exams for 1.75 lakh Intermediate students in Hyderabad are scheduled to begin on February 25.

• NMDC Director Recruitment: The PESB has invited applications for the post of Director (Commercial) at NMDC, with a deadline of February 9.

• SAI Assistant Coaches: The Sports Authority of India (SAI) announced 323 vacancies for Assistant Coaches in various disciplines.

• Informant Reward: The Delhi government announced a ₹50,000 reward for individuals who report illegal fetal sex determination tests.

11. Day Special: National Voters' Day (25 January)

• 16th Edition: 2026 marks the 16th National Voters' Day (NVD) in India.

• Theme 2026: The official theme for this year is 'My India, My Vote'.

• Historical Foundation: The day commemorates the foundation of the Election Commission of India on January 25, 1950.

• Unified ECINET App: The EC is set to launch the unified ECINET app, integrating over 40 existing election-related applications.

• Mission-929: A special initiative has been launched to increase voter turnout in Tripura to over 90%.

• Current Leadership: Gyanesh Kumar serves as the current 26th Chief Election Commissioner of India, following the first executive, Sukumar Sen.