CATEGORIES

Israel frees 2 hostages; ops kill 67 in Gaza

Israel freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah on Monday in a ferocious rescue operation that killed 67 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.

US: Austin admitted to hospital again, hands duties to his deputy

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalised again on Sunday to address a bladder issue as he continues to recover from prostate cancer and has transferred authorities to his deputy, the Pentagon said.

Rajnath unveils statue of 1st CDS in Dehradun

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday unveiled a life-size statue of India's first chief of defence staff late General Bipin Rawat in Dehradun.

'Not unconstitutional to appoint dy CMS'

The post of deputy chief minister may not be defined under the Constitution but there is no illegality in appointing leaders to the role, the Supreme Court observed on Monday, dismissing a public interest litigation that demanded the practice be struck down as unconstitutional.

India's UPI services launched in Lanka, Mauritius; PM hails move

India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that fintech connectivity will strengthen both cross-border transactions and linkages.

Shinde seeks dismissal of Uddhav's plea in SC

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday opposed a plea filed by the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) group in the Supreme Court against the assembly speaker's decision to dismiss disqualification petitions against Shinde and the legislators who supported him during the 2022 rebellion, and hold that the CM's faction was the \"real Shiv Sena\".

Rahul to PM: Release funds for MGNREGS workforce in Bengal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the \"devastating plight\" of workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) scheme in West Bengal and urged him to facilitate the release of central funds to the state for clearing their pending wages.

How India secured the release of ex-navy men

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal relationship with the Emir of Qatar and hard behind-the-scenes diplomacy by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval ensured that the eight former Indian Navy personnel were released from custody, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

States turn fortresses ahead of farmers' march to Capital

Thousands of paramilitary and police personnel in riot gear behind multiple layers of metal barriers with barbed wires and spikes guarded the state borders to halt the proposed \"Dilli Chalo\" march of cultivators to the Capital on Tuesday, even as farmer leaders were detained in Madhya Pradesh to stop them from joining the agitation.

BJP names 2 candidates for RS elections in Raj

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced two candidates, one each from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections to three of the 10 seats in Rajasthan.

PM Modi to launch Ggm Metro project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the AIIMS Rewari project at Majra Bhalkhi village on February 16, officials aware of the matter said on Monday.

Delhi HC grants bail to 4 convicts in Soumya case

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to four men convicted for the 2008 murder of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. The men had challenged their conviction and life sentence.

Five killed as car rams into bus on Yamuna e-way

Five people travelling from Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on Monday morning were killed after the car they were travelling in hit a bus on the Yamuna Expressway near Mathura, and both vehicles became engulfed in flames, police officers aware of the matter said.

Forces deployed, highways shut, flag marches done in Haryana

Thousands of paramilitary and police personnel in riot gear stood guard behind multiple layers of metal and jersey barriers, concertina wire, spikes, and sandbags as Haryana sought to seal its border with Punjab in a bid to halt the proposed \"Dilli Chalo\" march by certain farmer groups scheduled for Tuesday.

Prohibitory orders across Delhi as farmers' march to go ahead

Anticipating a rerun of 2020-21 farmers' agitation, the Delhi Police on Monday invoked prohibitory orders under section 144 of the code of criminal procedure (CrPC) in the entire city with immediate effect and it is likely to continue for the next 30 days unless the order is withdrawn, senior officials aware of the development said on Monday.

One in 5 migratory species at risk of extinction: UN data

One in five species that migrate are threatened with extinction and a substantial proportion of them -44% - is undergoing population decline, United Nations' first State of the World's Migratory Species report has said.

Qatar frees Indian ex-navy men; 7 back home in India

Qatar has freed eight former Indian Navy personnel who were sentenced to death after being detained in August 2022 on undeclared charges, with New Delhi announcing on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Doha this week to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

ESSAR CASE: SC ALLOWS AM/NS, INDIAN OIL TO GET ARBITRATORS

The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the decks for the initiation of arbitration proceedings by Arcelor Mittal. Nippon Steel India Limited (AM/NS) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) to resolve their dispute pertaining to Essar Steel India Ltd (ESIL).

Pakistan crisis: Two largest parties spar over PM's post

Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and the PPP of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are holding formal talks to form a coalition govt

Guv visits violence-hit Bengal distt; police form probe team

West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose visited violence-hit Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district on Monday and met several women who have accused local Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders of torture and exploitation, even as chief minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that no \"troublemaker\" would be spared.

Consumer inflation eases to 5.1% in Jan

THE MODERATION IN CPILIS LARGELY DRIVEN BY A FALL IN FOOD INFLATION WHICH EASED FROM 9.5% IN DECEMBER 2023 TO 8.3% IN JANUARY

Will Sonia shift to Upper House?

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi may contest a Rajya Sabha seat, preferably from north India, two senior Congress leaders indicated on Monday, even as they said a final decision would be taken shortly.

Delhi braces for stir after late push to resolve crisis

Security forces on Monday placed rows of metal barricades, put in shipping containers, lined the streets with concertina wires, and dug up trenches at Delhi's fringes, as the Capital's borders turned fortresses a day before farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh planned to march into the city, even as talks between protesters and Union ministers hit a dead-end after hours of parleys.

TN guv refuses to read govt speech

Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi on Monday skipped his entire speech customarily read at the start of the budget session of the assembly, saying he disagreed with numerous passages on \"moral and factual\" grounds, sparking a political controversy.

Ex-CM latest stalwart to walk out of Cong in Maha

Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan resigned from the Congress on Monday, becoming the third senior leader to leave the party in four weeks and dealing it a major blow just months ahead of general elections.

Nitish wins Bihar floor test to start fresh CM innings

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar won a trust vote in the assembly on Monday, capping a dramatic few weeks that saw him switch allies, take oath for a record ninth time, and tensions escalate in the days leading up to the floor test.

Trump Says Russia Can Do Anything To Nato Allies If They Don't Pay; White House Appalled'

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said on Saturday that, as president, he warned Nato allies he "would encourage" Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to countries that are "delinquent" as he ramped up his attacks on foreign aid and longstanding international alliances.

Rafah Invasion Will Scupper Talks On Hostages, Hamas Warns Israel

Hamas on Sunday warned that any Israeli offensive in Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah would scupper talks about the release of hostages seized in the October 7 attacks.

Infosys Back In Campuses To Hire For Niche Job Profiles

Infosys Ltd is back on campuses this year, reversing its previous plan to skip colleges and bringing some solace to institutes seeing a drought of recruiters.

Cold Wave Conditions Persist In Himachal; 130 Roads Closed

Cold wave conditions persisted in several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday including Una, Kangra and Bilaspur districts, with Kukumseri in Lahaul and Spiti shivering at minus 11.3 degrees Celsius, the meteorological department said.