FirstUp: India, EU FTA talks in Brussels, first spacewalk of 2026... The headlines today

It is set to be a busy Thursday with several events lined up for the day.

India and the European Union will hold crucial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks in Brussels on January 8. Meanwhile, the first spacewalk of 2026 will take place today outside the International Space Station.

In India, Congress will launch ‘MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan’ across the country, while PM Modi will be visiting Andhra Pradesh and Odisha today. Prabhas’ movie ‘The Raja Saab’ is set for its world premiere.

Here is all that is set to take place across the world today.

India, EU crucial FTA talks in Brussels

India and the European Union are set to meet today in Brussels for a “decisive push” to conclude the long-pending India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold discussions with European Union Commissioner for trade and economic security Maros Sefcovic. The meeting is set to provide political impetus and resolve pending issues at a higher level.

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India is pushing for zero-duty access for its labour-intensive industries like textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, and handicrafts. The EU, conversely, seeks significant tariff reductions on automobiles, medical devices, wine, and spirits, and stronger intellectual property protections.

First spacewalk of 2026

Nasa astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman are scheduled to perform the first spacewalk of the year outside the International Space Station (ISS) today. Designated as US Spacewalk 94, the mission is set to begin at 8:00 am EST and is expected to last approximately six and a half hours.

LIVE: Learn about our upcoming spacewalks! NASA astronauts will be venturing outside the @Space_Station on Jan. 8 and Jan. 15, and experts are here at @NASA_Johnson to discuss it.

Have questions? Share them with #AskNASA in the replies! https://t.co/UNcad8Y7Fk

— NASA (@NASA) January 6, 2026

The primary goal of this extravehicular activity (EVA) is to prepare the station’s 2A power channel on the port-side truss for the future installation of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The duo will install a modification kit and route essential cables to support the new arrays, install jumper cables between direct current converter units to enhance system redundancy, and swab external surfaces of the orbiting laboratory to collect potential microorganism samples for research.

Iran’s foreign minister to visit Lebanon

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Mehr news agency that he will visit Lebanon with an economic delegation today.

“Our relations are longstanding with all components of the Lebanese state, and we are looking to expand these ties… We hope we can return to a very good relation,” Araghchi said.

Lebanon had earlier sought to distance itself from Iran over its links to the Hezbollah terror group. Last month, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji declined an invitation to visit Tehran, citing “current conditions” as not permitting the visit; he instead invited Araghchi to visit Beirut for talks, reports The Times of Israel.

Congress’ MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan to begin

The Congress party is set to launch its nationwide ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ (Save MGNREGA Campaign). This is a 45-day agitation protest against the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and its replacement by the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act that will be carried out in three phases.

The Congress party argues that decisions formerly held at the panchayat level will now be centralised, undermining local self-governance, and states that the new law shifts 40 per cent of the financial burden to states.

PM Modi to visit Andhra Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a high-profile two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to launch development projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore.

The Prime Minister’s first stop is Visakhapatnam, where he is scheduled to arrive at approximately 3:00 pm and lay the foundation stone for India’s first integrated green hydrogen production facility at Pudimadaka ‘National Green Hydrogen Hub’.

He will inaugurate and lay stones for railway and road projects worth over ₹19,500 crore, including the new South Coast Railway headquarters in Visakhapatnam. The visit includes laying the foundation for KRIS City (Krishnapatnam Industrial Area) in Tirupati.

Prabhas’ The Raja Saab premieres

The highly anticipated pan-India film The Raja Saab, starring Prabhas, is set for its world premiere today, just a day ahead of its grand theatrical release on January 9. Directed by Maruthi, the film marks Prabhas’ debut in the romantic horror-comedy and fantasy genre.

The plot revolves around a carefree young man who inherits a haunted mansion where the spirit of his grandfather resides.

The Raja Saab is releasing in multiple languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. It is set to clash at the box office with other major Sankranti releases, notably Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan.

With inputs from agencies