Jayalalithaa death case: Panel rejects Apollo Hospital plea for medical board

On this Special Report, India Today's Gujarat Bureau Chief Brijesh Doshi reports on the commencement of the 'Somnath Swabhiman Parv' in Gujarat. The four-day festival, running from January 8 to 11, commemorates 1,000 years since the Somnath Temple's resilience against the invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 AD. Brijesh Doshi highlights that the event will 'showcase the unwavering faith and the self-respect for the Indian culture'. Key celebrations include a 72-hour continuous 'Omkar Jap' across 243 temples and a massive drone show featuring 3,000 drones depicting the temple's history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit on January 11 to offer prayers and address a public meeting. The festival also marks 75 years since Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel initiated the temple's reconstruction.

In a major escalation, the United States has seized two Venezuelan oil tankers, including a Russian-flagged vessel, in the North Atlantic. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation, stating that the 'blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil is on and in full effect'. Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined a plan to sell between 30 and 50 million barrels of the seized oil to benefit the Venezuelan people. India Today's Rohit Sharma analyses President Trump's 'America First' strategy behind the move.

On this breaking news report, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani issues a strong condemnation of the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Mamdani, who was recently sworn in, describes the incident as 'murder' and states, 'Only the latest horror in a year full of cruelty.' The Mayor asserts that the agency's actions against neighbors across America constitute 'an attack on us all' and affirms that New York stands with immigrants. The bulletin also reports on Vice President JD Vance's support for the ICE agent involved.

In a controversial remark ahead of the Kerala polls, CPI(M) leader AK Balan has claimed that if the United Democratic Front (UDF) comes to power, the Home Department could be handed to Jamaat-e-Islami. Balan further warned of 'Marad type riots' in such a scenario. The Congress has hit back at these assertions, with Opposition Leader VD Satheesan stating that Balan's remarks mirror the 'hardline Sangh strategy' seen in Gujarat elections and are aimed at creating communal divisions. The comments have triggered a heated political debate in the state.