Jan 18 news LIVE: Stalin announces TN govt literary award for non-Hindi languages

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resume his two-day visit to West Bengal on Sunday (January 18), making a fresh poll pitch from the site of the abandoned Tata Nano car plant in Singur, amid a highly charged political atmosphere in the state ahead of the crucial assembly elections.

On his return to the state after an overnight stay in Assam, Modi is scheduled to inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and flag off various development projects worth over Rs 830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district, besides addressing a rally, where he is expected to sharpen the party’s narrative on industrialisation in Bengal.

The selection of Singur, observers feel, was made on account of its symbolic importance, where a violent anti-land grab movement nearly two decades ago spearheaded by Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, then in the opposition, against the erstwhile Left Front government, had forced Ratan Tata to pull the plug on the project and relocate it to Gujarat.

The BJP has promised to “bring the Tatas back to Singur” if voted to power, projecting the exit of the car project as a missed economic opportunity and a symbol of industrial stagnation under the TMC.

During the day, the PM is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, aimed at boosting inland water transport and regional connectivity.

To support urban river mobility, eco-tourism and last-mile passenger connectivity along the Hooghly River, Modi will launch a state-of-the-art 50-passenger electric catamaran in Kolkata, which is one of the six such vessels indigenously built for inland water transport by the Cochin Shipyard Ltd.

The Prime Minister will also flag off three Amrit Bharat trains from Singur, connecting Kolkata to Delhi, Banaras and Chennai, strengthening the rail connectivity of West Bengal with other states.

Authorities have confirmed the presence of H5N1 avian influenza in Edakkanam area of Iritty in Kannur district, with the infection reportedly identified in at least one crow.

The district administration said no cases have been reported so far among domestic birds, and no culling is required at this stage.

In view of the reporting of the disease H5N1, the District Collector Arun K Vijayan issued an alert for the region and directed authorities to step up precautionary measures in the area.

According to an official statement, the confirmation of the disease was made by the Deputy Director, Kannur Regional Diagnostic Laboratory.

However, no cases have been reported so far among domestic birds, it said.

The Collector has instructed the District Medical Officer and the Joint Director of the Local Self-Government Department to take necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus in Iritty municipality and nearby areas.

As the infection has been detected only in one crow, no outbreak or surveillance zone has been declared and there is no requirement for culling of birds, the district administration explained.

The carcass of birds, if found, will be buried at adequate depth with calcium carbonate by the municipal public health department, following safety protocols, it said.

Personnel involved in the disposal process have been instructed to wear gloves, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The Health Department has also been directed to closely monitor and report any cases of unexplained fever or respiratory infections among people in the area, the statement added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (January 18) laid the foundation stone for the Rs 6,957-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, and virtually flagged off two Amrit Bharat trains in Assam's Nagaon district.

Modi performed ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ of the Kaziranga project. The corridor is aimed at ensuring safe wildlife movement across the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, reduce road accidents on National Highway-715, and boost ecotourism, while generating local employment opportunities.

It forms part of the four-laning of the Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-715, and includes around 34.45 km of elevated wildlife-friendly corridors, along with bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat, he said.

The Prime Minister also virtually flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains – Dibrugarh-Gomti Nagar (Lucknow) and Kamakhya-Rohtak.

Read the full story here.

The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries formally signed a long-sought free trade agreement on Saturday (January 17), strengthening commercial ties in the face of rising protectionism and trade tensions around the world.

The signing ceremony in Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion, caps more than a quarter-century of torturous negotiations. It marks a major geopolitical victory for the EU in an age of American tariffs and surging Chinese exports, expanding the bloc's foothold in a resource-rich region increasingly contested by Washington and Beijing.

It also sends a message that South America is keeping a range of trade and diplomatic relationships even as US President Donald Trump makes an aggressive push for geopolitical dominance of the Western Hemisphere.

The agreement could still face hurdles in the EU parliament, which must ratify it before it can take effect. Ratification is considered all but guaranteed in South America, where the agreement has broad support.

Mercosur consists of the region's two biggest economies, Argentina and Brazil, as well as Paraguay and Uruguay. Bolivia, the bloc's newest member, is not included the trade deal but could join in the coming years. Venezuela has been suspended from the bloc and isn't included in the agreement.

Supported by South America’s cattle-raising countries and European industrial interests, the accord will gradually eliminate more than 90 per cent of tariffs on goods ranging from Argentine beef to German cars, creating one of the world's largest free trade zones and making shopping cheaper for more than 700 million consumers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday (January 18) lay the foundation stone for the Kaziranga elevated corridor, flag off two Amrit Bharat Express trains and address a public rally during the second day of his Assam visit.

“Looking forward to being in Kaliabor, Assam today for the Bhoomi Poojan of key development works, including the 35 km elevated corridor across Kaziranga. This will go a long way in safeguarding animals, particularly in the monsoon season,” the PM said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to virtually flag off two Amrit Bharat Express trains – Dibrugarh-Gomti Nagar (Lucknow) and Kamakhya-Rohtak.

The Rs 6,957-crore elevated corridor project would ensure safe wildlife movement across the Kaziranga National Park, reduce road accidents on National Highway-715, and boost ecotourism while generating local employment opportunities, an official said.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has branded US President Donald Trump a “criminal” for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths.

In a speech broadcast by state television, Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead — the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began December 28 and led to a bloody crackdown.

In response, Trump called for an end to Khamenei's nearly 40-year reign.

Read the full story here.