The New Indian Express wishes its readers a Our offices and press will remain closed today and there will be no issue of the paper on Friday hyderabad l Thursday l January 15, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE City EDITION last year was third warmest on record: U.N. climate agency The planet logged its third hottest year on record in 2025, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday Average temp 1.44°C above 1850-1900 figures ‘This year likely to be fourth warmest’ ■ “The year 2025 started and ended with a cooling La Niña and yet it was still one of the warmest because of the accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere,” WMO said ■ Berkeley Earth, whose dataset was one of the eight analysed by the WMO, said 2026 would most likely be fourth-warmest year The global average surface temperature in 2025 was 1.44°C above the 1850-1900 average, according to the WMO’s analysis of eight datasets. Two of these datasets ranked 2025 as the second-warmest year in 176 years since 1850, and the other six ranked it as the third-warmest. In all eight datasets, 2023-2025 are the three warmest years on record | P7 14.97°C was the average global temperature in 2025 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Threat of fast trials, executions 2,571 people have been killed in the protests so far, claims USbased Human Rights Activists News Agency of forced confessions broadcast so far Some personnel at US base in Qatar advised to evacuate Dozens of Iranians crossed into Turkiye amid massive nationwide unrest As many as 18,434 individuals had been arrested in troubled Iran, as on Tuesday Over 1,100 iran iraq jordan kuwait protesters suffered severe injuries egypt saudi arabia Ships drop anchor outside Iran port Many commercial ships have dropped anchor at a distance outside Iran’s port in recent days, according to a Reuters report uae oman sudan yeman eritrea Outpost Source: American Security Project 97 cases At least Map Not for Scale Despite Trump’s threats of intervention, Iran’s top judge hinted at fast trials and executions for those who were detained in the ongoing protests | P17 US military assets near Iran cyprus syria lebanon Airbase Naval facility Radar facility Leave Iran, India tells nationals Jaishankar speaks with Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, reviews the evolving situation J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi The Indian Embassy in Tehran on Wednesday advised all its nationals, including students, pilgrims, businesspersons and tourists, to leave Iran using available means, as the security situation in the country sharply deteriorated amid weeks of deadly protests. Later in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, during which the two leaders reviewed the “evolving situation” in and around Iran. “Received a call from Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. We discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran,” Jaishankar wrote on X. 2 NTV scribes arrested for ‘defamatory content’ Express News Service @ Hyderabad Two days after the DGP formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate two cases — one involving an allegedly humiliating video of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and another related to alleged fake news about a bureaucrat and a minister — two journalists from vernacular news channel NTV were arrested on Wednesday for airing alleged defamatory content against a minister and a woman IAS officer. Donthu Ramesh was picked up from Hyderabad airport in the early hours of Wednesday while he was about to fly to Bangkok with his family for a vacation. The police also detained another NTV journalist, Paripurna Chary but he was released in the evening, after questioning at the CCS. Ramesh, the input editor, and Dasari Sudheer, a senior reporter, were taken to the government hospital at King Koti and later produced before a magistrate. The SIT conducted searches at the NTV office twice on Wednesday questioned staff , and seized some material. The complaint was lodged by IAS Officers Association secretary Jayesh Ranjan on behalf of the Association. The complaint cited violation of privacy and indecent representation of a woman IAS officer, affecting her dignity. The association stated that the content aired by NTV was false and fabricated. CCS police registered a case under Sections 75, 78, 79, 351(1), 352, 61(2) and 238 of BNS, Section 67 of the IT Act, and Sections 3 and 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. The arrests triggered a political row, with BRS and BJP leaders describing the action as an attack on press freedom.  continued on p4 “All Indian nationals in Iran are requested to leave the country using available means,” the embassy said, and added that citizens should keep their travel and immigration documents, including passports and IDs, readily accessible. “They are requested to contact the Indian Embassy for any assistance in this regard,” it said. The embassy reiterated that Indians and Persons of Indian Origin should exercise due caution, avoid areas where protests or demonstrations are underway remain , in contact with the embassy and closely monitor local media for developments. The advisory comes as massive nationwide protests in Iran entered the 18th day with demonstra, tions reported across nearly 280 locations. The unrest, which began over double-digit inflation and sharp currency devaluation, has escalated into violent clashes with security forces. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 2,571 people have been killed in the protests so far. Iran has imposed a communications blackout in several areas and is facing mounting international pressure over its crackdown on demonstrators. Another NGO, Norway-based Iran Human Rights, put the verified toll at 3,428. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump publicly urged Iranian protesters to take over state institutions and not back down, claim- ing that “help is on the way with,” out providing further details. His remarks fuelled speculation over possible US involvement amid rising regional tensions. In a related development, Reuters reported that several personnel were advised to vacate the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in West Asia, by Wednesday evening as a precautionary step. Similar measures were taken ahead of US air strikes on Iran in June last year. The Indian embassy also urged nationals who have not yet registered with it to do so through its online portal, noting that family members in India may register on their behalf if internet disruptions prevent access within Iran. World No. 3 shuttler opts out, blames pollution A n m o l G U r u n g @ New Delhi As you enter the IG Stadium — the India Open badminton venue — you cannot miss the pungent heavy smell floating in the air. Inside the playing area it’s much better. Yet, from the stands the light seem to cut through a film of dust. Just to add to the woes of the organisers, a day after a Denmark player lambasted the playing conditions, World No 3 men shuttler has come out with another scathing remark. Months ahead of the World Badminton Championships to be held at the same venue in August, this is definitely not the kind of publicity Badminton Association of India would be expecting. If this was not enough, a few players posted a video of a monkey inside the stadium. On closer scrutiny it was found that the monkey entered ‘inadvertently’ scaring one or two spectators in the stands. On Tuesday Mia Blichfeldt raised , concerns more about health than conditions. Barely 24 hours later, another Danish pro, Anders Antonsen, on his social media account, said he pulled out of the event (last week) due to ‘extreme pollution’. In the same post, the World No 3 raised concerns about the city’s ability to conduct badminton events including the upcoming World Championships later this year. “Many are curious as to why I have pulled out of the India Open for the third consecutive year. Due to extreme pollution in Delhi at the moment I don’t think it’s a place to host a badminton tournament,” the 2025 French Open winner said. “..it will be better in the Summer when the World Championships will take place...”  P11 Chinese manja kills migrant worker P K RISHNA @ Sangareddy A 38-year-old migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh died of wounds inflicted by a strand of Chinese manja that tightened around his neck while he was travelling on a motorcycle here on Wednesday . The victim was identified as Avadhesh Kumar, who had recently arrived in the district for agricultural work. He was riding from Fasalwadi towards Sangareddy when the kite string trailing across the road caused a deep cut on his neck. Passersby called for an ambulance and shifted him to the government hospital, where doctors declared him dead. SP Paritosh Pankaj said a case had been registered and an investigation was under way to identify those who flew the kite and those who sold the banned manja. G E T T H AT H O L I D AY F E E L I N G ₹ WITH FLIGHTS FROM PP E x p r e s s Re a d SC to hear ED’s plea on Mamata today New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Thursday take up a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging obstruction of its search at I-PAC office by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The state government has also filed a caveat in the SC, seeking that no order be passed without hearing it. Garg drunk, refused life jacket, court told Guwahati: Music icon Zubeen Garg was “severely intoxicated”, and he drowned near the Lazarus Island after refusing to wear a life jacket, a coroner’s court in Singapore was told on Wednesday. Testimonies reconfirmed reports that the singer went into the waters wearing a life jacket but removed it | P8