Commercial LPG prices have risen sharply at the start of the month, adding to the cost burden of hotels, restaurants and other businesses that rely heavily on cooking gas.

The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder has been increased by Rs 111 across major cities.

In Delhi, the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder has gone up to Rs 1,691.50. In Mumbai, the rate has increased from Rs 1,531.50 to Rs 1,642.50.

Superstar Rajinikanth on New Year's day released the first look of director Sooriyaprathap S’s upcoming sci-fi thriller 'ROOT' – Running Out Of Time, featuring actor Gautham Ram Karthik in the lead, much to the delight of fans and film buffs.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority's (PFRDA) board has approved a framework to permit Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) to independently set up Pension Funds to manage NPS, with the objective of strengthening the pension ecosystem, it was announced on Thursday.

This will enhance competition and safeguard subscriber’s interests.

The proposed framework seeks to address existing regulatory constraints that had limited bank participation till now, said Ministry of Finance in a statement.

On the first day of the New Year, major temples across Rajasthan witnessed massive crowds of devotees, with long queues and heavy traffic jams from the early hours of the morning.

In Jaipur, devotees began lining up outside Govinddevji Temple and Motidungri Ganeshji Temple as early as 4 a.m. The heavy influx of pilgrims led to congestion at Badi Chaupar and Chandi Ki Taksal Road in the walled city (Parkote area).

Most of the vehicles entering the area were carrying devotees seeking darshan at Govinddevji Temple. In Sikar, the doors of Khatushyamji Temple have been opened continuously for the past 6 day, and devotees on Thursday will be allowed darshan until late in the night.

The government on Thursday announced the nationwide rollout of Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), also known as Wi-Fi Calling, on New Year.

This advanced service is now available to all BSNL customers across every telecom circle in the country, ensuring seamless and high-quality connectivity even in challenging environments, said Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's premier state-owned telecommunications provider.

The service is now available to BSNL customers across all telecom circles in the country.

Actor, producer and parliamentarian Kamal Haasan on Thursday wished his fans and followers on social media a happy new year, even as he pointed out to them that the new year presented another chance for one to become "better, kinder and wiser" than the year before.

Taking to his X timeline, Kamal Haasan wrote, "Another year ahead. Another chance to become better, kinder and wiser than the year before. Excellence is a work in progress. Have an excellent new year. Every tomorrow is a day to be seized. Let all your pursuits make you happy."

Chennai is set to get a dedicated public women's cancer screening centre at Thousand Lights by February.

The facility, being established at a cost of Rs 1.23 crore, will offer free screening services for breast, cervical and ovarian cancers - affecting women in Tamil Nadu the most.

The three-storeyed centre will be operated by the Greater Chennai Corporation's Health Department and will function from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all days except Sundays.

Rajasthan experienced widespread rain, hailstorms, dense fog, and an intense cold wave on Thursday, marking a chilly start to the New Year across the state.

Intermittent rainfall was reported in several districts, including Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Ajmer, Kota, and Sikar. Chittorgarh received heavy rain for about half an hour around 5 a.m., while Ramgarh (Sikar) also witnessed intense showers.

Actor Sidharth Malhotra reflected on the year 2025 as a year full of growth. He admitted that his life changed for the better in 2025, bringing a major shift that added depth and a softer strength to his personality.

Adding Harry Styles' "As It Was" as the background score, Sidharth dropped a video compilation of some of the major highlights of 2025 for him.

From accompanying his better half, Kiara Advani, to her Met Gala debut to welcoming his daughter Saraayah Malhotra, to shooting his projects "Param Sundari" and "Vvan", 2025 has truly been a wholesome year for Sidharth.

Light snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of Kashmir Valley during the last 12 hours as the plains were lashed by rain on Thursday.

The revellers had a great time in Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam tourist resorts, where snowfall occurred on the New Year's Eve. The tourists could be seen singing and dancing to welcome the new year.

Scores of tourists also gathered at the city centre, Lal Chowk in Srinagar, braving the winter chill to usher in the new year.

Flight operations across several parts of northern and eastern India, including Delhi, were affected on Thursday as dense fog engulfed large swathes of the region, sharply reducing visibility and prompting airlines to issue advisories for passengers.

Low visibility conditions led to disruptions at multiple airports, including those in Delhi, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati, with airlines cautioning travellers to remain alert and check flight updates to avoid inconvenience.

Authorities on Thursday morning issued an emergency warning for a life-threatening bushfire burning near the Perth Airport in Western Australia (WA).

A warning issued shortly before 6 a.m. local time by the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said that residents in the Kalamunda region, 15 km east of central Perth and 5 km from the city's international airport, should leave immediately.

As we welcome 2026, ace designer Masaba Gupta expressed her wish for all women to be 'fearless' this year.

She shared that the year gone by turned her into a completely new person - something which she finds to be both terrifying and great.

Reiterating the fact that change is the only constant, Masaba wrote on her Insta, "I’ll tell you what this year taught me - that I am no longer who I used to be. And that is terrifying .. but it’s great news. It’s nice to shed your skin every once in a while. (sic)"

 Despite an uncertain and challenging global economic backdrop, the Indian economy continues to grow strongly, underpinned by robust domestic demand, benign inflation, and prudent macroeconomic policies, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said.

The domestic financial system remains robust and resilient, bolstered by strong balance sheets, easy financial conditions, and low financial market volatility. Nonetheless, there are near-term risks from external uncertainties - geopolitical and trade related, the Central Bank said in its latest Financial Stability Report (FSR).

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has now decided to apply its own independent mechanism for identifying housing complexes with multiple towers for setting up polling booths for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

The ECI has decided the matter amid the failure of the District Magistrates (DMs), also the District Electoral Officers (DEOs), to identify housing complexes with 300 voters or above for setting up the polling booth, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said.

The New Year 2026 began on a wet note for Mumbaikars as several parts of the country's financial capital witnessed rain early Thursday morning, altering the usual festive atmosphere associated with the first day of the year.

Instead of greeting the New Year with bright sunshine, parts of Mumbai, particularly the island city, woke up to rainfall.

Showers began shortly before 6 a.m., with some areas experiencing moderate rain while others reported light drizzling. The intensity of the rain gradually eased after around 6.15 a.m.

Pace duo Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and middle-order batter Tim David have been named in Australia's provisional 15-player squad for the T20 World Cup despite injury concerns.

Cummins has played just one international match since suffering a lumbar stress injury in July, when he featured in the Ashes-securing third Ashes Test in Adelaide. A scan on Pacer's back later this month will determine whether he will be right for the tournament.

The unified payments interface (UPI) saw 29 per cent transaction count growth (year-on-year) at 21.63 billion in the month of December — along with registering 20 per cent annual growth in transaction amount at Rs 27.97 lakh crore, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data showed on Thursday.

Month-wise, the UPI transaction count as well as amount grew significantly too.

Service Doctors' Forum, an association of medical practitioners in West Bengal, has threatened a major protest demonstration against the Election Commission of India (ECI), for its decision to issue summons to clinically ailing patients and senior citizens asking them to be present at the hearing sessions on claims and objections on the draft voters' list.

Incidentally, the Forum played a leading role in spearheading the mass movement on the issue of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises in August 2024.

US President Donald Trump has said that “peace on earth” was his New Year’s resolution as he addressed guests at a gathering at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, striking a brief note of aspiration before turning to a wide-ranging reflection on the state of the country.

When asked about his New Year’s resolution at the New Year’s Eve gathering on Wednesday, the President replied: “Peace. Peace on earth. Peace on earth.” He did not respond to questions about the CIA’s role in an attack on Venezuela or whether he would put boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Braving biting cold, hundreds of devotees thronged the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab and other shrines in the region early on Thursday to usher in the New Year.

At the Golden Temple complex, around 250 km from here, the devotees queued up since midnight to offer prayers. Long queues could be seen on Thursday morning with people waiting for their turn to offer prayers inside the 'Harmandir Sahib', the sanctum sanctorum.

The Indian stock markets welcomed 2026 with a positive opening on Thursday as overall sentiment remained cautiously constructive, supported by improving domestic technicals, despite mixed global cues and the absence of major domestic triggers.

While Nifty opened 0.17 per cent higher at 26,173.30, Sensex opened 0.04 per cent up at 85,255.55.

Among sectors, FMCG index was down 1 per cent, while telecom index was up 1 per cent in the early trade. On NSE, 10 out of 15 sectors were in the green. Nifty Media and Nifty Auto lead the advance, while Nifty FMCG and Nifty Pharma traded in red.

Delhi woke up to yet another grim morning under a thick blanket of pollution and biting cold, with air quality continuing to remain in the "very poor" category as fog and low temperatures tightened their grip on the national capital on the New Year.

According to the latest data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi stood at 372, reflecting sustained high pollution levels across the city.