Breaking News on February 1: US Clears Sale Of 31 MQ-9B Armed Drones To India For Nearly $4 Billion

Despite increasing poll-related violence and security challenges, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikanadar Sultan Raja and Pakistan‘s acting interior minister Gohar Ejaz on Thursday dispelled all doubts about holding the general elections on the already announced date of February 8. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had summoned a meeting on Thursday to discuss the worsening law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. It was attended by the Interior Minister, Secretary of Interior, Chief Secretaries, Inspector Generals of Police from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, along with representatives from intelligence agencies, according to a statement by the ECP. (PTI)

Delhi Police on Thursday claimed to have busted two illegal call centres in Dwarka and Naraina areas here for allegedly cheating the foreign nationals on pretext of providing them tech support and other utility services. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of the Delhi Police arrested 26 employees and detained 40 persons from the two illegal call centres, said an official.

In a significant turn of events, France’s two major farmers unions decided to suspend protests and remove road blockades after the prime minister unveiled measures deemed as “tangible progress.” The farmers had been protesting against low wages, stringent regulations, and unfair competition from abroad, staging demonstrations across the country.

Two Russian courts have meted out the first convictions in connection with what the government calls the “international LGBT social movement” and which was designated as extremist last year. On Thursday, a court in the southern region of Volgograd found a man guilty of “displaying the symbols of an extremist organisation” after he posted a photograph of an LGBT flag online, according to the court’s press service. A trial is set to resume next week in Saratov in southwestern Russian against a photographer who posted images of rainbow flags on Instagram, independent Russian news outlet Mediazona reported. The rainbow flag represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Russian law prohibits anyone in the country “displaying the symbols” of organisations it considers extremist, a list that includes social network Meta. (REUTERS)

As Myanmar observed three years since the military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi, India urged for a complete end to violence and a transition towards an inclusive federal democracy. Widespread protests have persisted since the coup in February 2021, and India stressed the need for a swift resolution through constructive dialogue, aiming for peace and stability in Myanmar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Rs 400-crore permanent campus of IIM Sambalpur, power projects worth Rs 28,978 crore, and National Highway projects costing Rs 2,045 crore during his visit to Odisha on February 3. The PM will also unveil the redeveloped Sambalpur station and the Talcher-Sambalpur doubling project (168.2 km) costing Rs 2,193 crore. Additionally, he may inaugurate the newly-constructed Sonepur station and flag-off a train on the Bolangir-Sonepur section (47 km) of the Khurda Road-Bolangir new line (301 km) project.

The Delhi High Court has approved the inclusion of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) as a party in a petition advocating the adoption of the Indian Holistic Integrated Medicinal Approach. Justices Manmohan and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora allowed IMA’s Intervention Application, making it a party in the case.

PUMA India has unveiled a groundbreaking Bomber Jacket in collaboration with emerging design talent Viraj Khanna, son of renowned designer Anamika Khanna. Custom-designed for PUMA Gen Z Brand Ambassador Shanaya Kapoor, the pink jacket, blending Viraj Khanna’s art-forward aesthetic and PUMA’s trendy streetwear vibe, added glamour to Kapoor’s first-ever Knicks Basketball Game at Madison Square in New York. Shanaya Kapoor, also a basketball player, showcased the stylish jacket, reflecting PUMA’s unique fusion of art and streetwear.

Korean artists will exhibit their work at the 15th-anniversary edition of The India Art Fair, the world’s largest art fair. The Korean Cultural Centre India will participate in the Institutions section, representing media artist Lee Lee Nam. The K-Art exhibition booth will showcase Korean art during the four-day event starting February 1 at the National Small Industries Corporation Exhibition Ground in New Delhi.

Amid political crisis, JMM-led alliance releases video showing support of 43 MLAs in Jharkhand having 81-member assembly.

The special PMLA court here sent former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, to judicial custody for a day, lawyers said. The ED sought 10 days remand for Soren. The court reserved its order for Friday. The JMM executive president has been sent to judicial custody for a day, lawyers said. (PTI)

After 8 days of hearing, 7-judge bench of Supreme Court reserves judgment on AMU will be able to retain its status as a Minority Institution

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear the plea of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a land-related case. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, leading the bench, stated that the matter will be scheduled for hearing on Friday. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, seeking an urgent hearing on Hemant Soren’s arrest in the land matter case, informed the court.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to grant a stay on the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with the alleged corruption case involving the Delhi Waqf Board, as reported by Bar & Bench. A Division Bench consisting of Justices Rekha Palli and Rajnish Bhatnagar postponed the case to February 7, citing the unavailability of the senior counsel representing Khan on the present day.

Anne Edwards, known as ‘The Queen of Biography’ for her best-selling books on Vivien Leigh and Katharine Hepburn, as well as 14 other celebrity biographies, died in Beverly Hills, California, Deadline reported. She was 96 years old, and her daughter reported that she died of lung cancer at a senior care facility.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Rohit Pawar, grandnephew of party supremo Sharad Pawar, has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), for questioning on Thursday as part of an alleged money laundering probe.

The National Highway-44 in Ramban district was blocked due to road damage, shooting stones and mud slush, an official said on Thursday.

After rain lashed the national capital, Jammu and Kashmir and several parts of Uttarakhand received the first snowfall of the season.

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 on the Richter scale was recorded in Kachchh, Gujarat, on Thursday morning, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said.

The US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Myanmar’s military regime, three years after the military coup. The country has designated four individuals and two entities linked to Myanmar’s military regime.

After the Varanasi Court allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, said that daily puja has started in ‘Vyas parivar Tehkhana’.

India saw a single-day rise of 160 Covid cases, while the number of active cases stood at 1,338, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.

The Assam cabinet on Wednesday approved the Assam Tourism Development and Registration Bill 2024 to regulate the tourism sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be conferred with the coveted ‘Shiv Samman Award’ on behalf of the Royal Family of Lord Shiva.

The US Federal Reserve in its January meeting voted to leave the key interest rate unchanged at 5.25-5.50 per cent, keeping the policy rate unchanged for the fourth straight time on a trot.

Jharkhand Transport Minister Champai Soren, who was named as JMM legislative party leader, wrote a letter to Governor CP Radhakrishnan, staking a claim to form the new government in the state.

The US State Department expressed optimism about the proposed drone deal with India, emphasising its “significant potential” to advance strategic technology cooperation.

FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a stark warning on Wednesday (local time) about the looming threat posed by Chinese hackers to the critical infrastructure of the United States.

Paytm Payments Bank Limited (“PPBL”), an associate of OCL (One 97 Communications Limited), has received RBI directions. Paytm Payments Bank is set to expand its existing relationships with leading third-party banks to distribute payments and financial services products.

Digiyatra’s implementation at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) Airport at Guwahati has enhanced the passenger experience enormously. There is a significant increase in the use of DG travel services at Guwahati Airport.