Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced that Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, key figures in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, have been invited to the grand inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. This comes shortly after the Ram temple trust told the media that the veterans were "requested not to come" owing to their age and health issues. Alok Kumar, VHP's international working president, revealed, "Both the seniors said they would try their best to come for the event." The earlier move by the Ram temple trust sparked controversy about the dynamics within the Ram Mandir movement, as the leaders, aged 96 and 89 respectively, navigate their roles in the landmark event despite concerns about their well-being.

In a historic IPL auction, Mitchell Starc secured a groundbreaking ₹24.75 crore deal with Kolkata Knight Riders, setting a new record for the highest-ever price in IPL history. Earlier, Pat Cummins shattered the ₹20 crore barrier with a ₹20.50 crore bid from Sunrisers Hyderabad. This is the first time ever that the Rs 20-crore mark was breached at the IPl auction. Daryl Mitchell joined Chennai Super Kings for ₹14 crore, while Punjab Kings signed Harshal Patel for ₹11.75 crore. Notably, Rovman Powell (RR, ₹7.40 crore), Travis Head (SRH, ₹6.80 crore), and Harry Brook (DC, ₹4 crore) emerged as top buys in the capped batters category. The franchises collectively have over ₹262 crore for 77 players from a pool of 332.

The IMF projected India's economy will expand 6.3% in the current and next fiscal year, backed by digital infrastructure and government capital spending. While lauding India's growth prospects, the IMF sees potential for even higher expansion with more reforms and greater labor participation. However, it pegged next year's growth lower than RBI's 7% forecast. The IMF expects inflation, driven by volatile food prices, to moderately decline toward the 4% target though it will remain rocky. Despite November inflation of 5.55% being within the 2-6% tolerance band, the IMF says price rises continue overshooting the mid-point target. It stressed India has room to unleash higher growth by implementing comprehensive reforms and unlocking more human capital.

Australian pacer Pat Cummins shattered IPL auction records, becoming the costliest-ever buy after being sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.50 crore. An intense bidding war between SRH, CSK and RCB ended with the Hyderabad franchise splurging big on the 2023 World Cup winning captain. Cummins' dynamic leadership and bowling exploits recently guided Australia to both WTC and ODI World Cup glory. Though his T20 returns have been underwhelming, he has consistently earned massive paydays in past IPLs, including his 2019 purchase for Rs 15.50 crore by KKR. By breaching the Rs 20 crore ceiling, Cummins broke Sam Curran's previous high of Rs 18.50 crore. His arrival signals significant changes ahead for SRH.

India has deployed two guided-missile destroyers, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata, off the coast of Aden to boost naval security in the Arabian Sea region. This comes as the US announced a coalition of nations to protect commercial ships from Iran-backed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea near Yemen. Along with the Houthi threat, piracy by Somali groups also endangers vessels in the area, with the recent hijacking of a Maltese ship. Disruptions to the key Red Sea transit route could severely impact global oil supplies and prices. India's naval presence intends to enhance overall maritime security amid heightened tensions that threaten critical shipping lanes. Any major assault on commercial vessels could have far-reaching economic consequences due to heavy reliance on oil imports via this passage.

The Icelandic government has stated that the ongoing volcanic eruption along a 4km crater near the town of Grindavik presents no threat to human life, as the town had already been evacuated as a precautionary measure. A government spokesperson said while they are monitoring risks to infrastructure, there have been no disruptions to aviation so far. However, he warned that the eruption is releasing high levels of toxic gases and strongly advised people to avoid visiting the eruption site while authorities assess the situation. He added that this is a fissure-type eruption typically not involving large explosions or significant ash emissions into the atmosphere. Overall, the government has downplayed risks from this event which follows days of intense seismic activity in the region.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar slammed Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee for mocking him during a protest by suspended MPs at Parliament's Makar Dwar. Dhankhar termed the mimicry "ridiculous", "shameful" and "unacceptable". Banerjee's antics were filmed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his phone. As the House reconvened, Dhankhar condemned the incident, differentiating between political differences and insulting constitutional authorities. He disapproved of senior leaders engaging in objectionable acts like video recording colleagues mimicking the Chair. Dhankhar asserted such theatrics diminish Parliament's dignity and set a poor precedent of behavior unbecoming of lawmakers.

On Tuesday, 49 more opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha, taking the total number of suspended lawmakers to 141. The suspended MPs include senior leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Supriya Sule and Farooq Abdullah. This follows the unprecedented suspension of 78 MPs from both houses on Monday. The government justified the mass suspensions as necessary to ensure smooth legislative functioning amid disruptions. However, opposition leaders slammed the move, accusing the BJP of murdering democracy and stifling dissent. NCP's Sharad Pawar wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman alleging even some MPs not involved in disturbances were suspended. With depleted opposition numbers, the government can now easily push through key bills without debate, critics say.

Experts predict Covid cases will continue rising as the population builds immunity to the recently discovered JN.1 variant. While its severity remains unclear, JN.1's symptoms could be more noticeable than a common cold, resembling the flu with fatigue, body ache, and sore throat. Though less risky for younger people, older adults should enhance precautions as it could endanger those with preexisting conditions. JN.1, first spotted in Luxembourg and now in over 38 countries, contains a spike mutation suspected of evading immunity. Indian Medical Association's Dr Rajeev Jayadevan says the surge was expected after seven months without a spike. He warns JN.1 has rapidly become the most common subtype in countries conducting more testing, replacing previous variants.

The highly anticipated IPL 2024 player auction is underway in Dubai with all 10 franchises looking to bolster their squads from a pool of 332 shortlisted players. With a massive overall purse of ₹262.95 crore and 77 slots to be filled, big buys are expected. Notable player names include Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Rishabh Pant, who makes his return as Delhi Capitals captain. Several brackets are in place topping out at ₹2 crore. All eyes will be on whether Sam Curran's record purchase of ₹18.5 crore is broken. Stage is set for an entertaining day as teams assemble their best XIs for IPL 2024 beginning March 22.