Live: 24 women in Congress' fourth list of 61 candidates in Uttar Pradesh

Live news: Kerala is in lockdown today for slowing down Covid-19; IndusInd Bank's consolidated net profit jumps 50% to Rs 1,242 crore in the third quarter.

9:26 PM

Tamil Nadu adds 22,238 fresh infections, 38 deaths

Tamil Nadu on Sunday added 22,238 infections, including a returnee from the United Arab Emirates, pushing the tally to 33,25,940 while 38 more fatalities took the death toll to 37,544, the Health department said.

 

Recoveries outnumbered new cases with 26,624 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 30,84,470 leaving 2,03,926 active infections, a medical bulletin said.

 

Chennai, among districts, accounted for the majority of new coronavirus infections with 3,998 fresh cases. The State capital was followed by Coimbatore with 2,865 cases, followed by Chengalpet 1,534, Tiruppur 1,497, Salem 1,181, Erode 1,127.

 

A total of 1,36,952 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 6,16,24,216, the bulletin said.

8:24 PM

Mumbai reports 1,160 new Covid cases, 10 deaths in last 24 hrs

As many as 1,160 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Mumbai during the last 24 hours, said a health bulletin by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai on Sunday. With this, the total count of cases of the disease in Mumbai has gone up to 10,45,630.

 

In Mumbai, 160 patients were hospitalised during the last 24 hours. Currently, with 37,573 beds out of a total of 2,268 being occupied by the patients, the bed occupancy rate is 6.0 per cent.

 

According to the state health department, Mumbai currently has 10,797 active cases of COVID-19. Ten people lost their lives to the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. The current death toll in Mumbai due to the virus currently stands at 16,612.

8:05 PM

Congress to launch booklet highlighting rising prices under BJP govt

The Congress on Monday will highlight the issue of rising prices and will launch a 'BJP brought inflation' booklet in poll-bound states.

 

The Congress will organise a series of press conferences underlining the problems faced by the people due to inflation and hold the central government responsible for it.

 

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala will hold a press conference in Lucknow, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Chandigarh and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in Goa.

7:44 PM

Goa Polls: Amit Shah holds door-to-door campaign in Sanvordem town

Ahead of Goa Assembly Elections, Union Home Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah held a door-to-door campaign in the Sanvordem town. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade, and the BJP candidate Ganesh Gaonkarwas were also present with him.

 

Prior to this campaign, Shah who is on a day visit to poll-bound Goa today also addressed a public meeting in the Ponda city and offered prayers at Sai Baba temple in Borim town.

 

BJP has fielded its candidates on all 40 seats in the state assembly. Goa will go to the assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

7:37 PM

Kerala records 51,570 new Covid cases

COVID-19 cases in Kerala continued to rise with the southern state reporting 51,570 new infections on Sunday taking the total number of affected people to 59,83,515.

 

The state has reported 14 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 53,666, the state health department said.

 

The state has tested 1,03,366 samples in the last 24 hours, a release issued by the health department said.

 

On Saturday, Kerala had reported 50,812 cases. On January 25, Kerala had registered 55,475 cases, the highest ever single-day spike in the infection count since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

7:31 PM

EC to review on Monday ban on physical rallies

The Election Commission will meet on Monday to assess the COVID-19 situation in the five poll-going states and decide on whether to continue the ban on physical rallies. The Commission may also decide on whether fresh relaxations can be extended to political parties and candidates in holding physical campaigning events.

 

Citing the rise in COVID-19 cases, the poll panel had imposed a ban on physical rallies and roadshows when it announced the poll schedule for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur on January 8.

 

During its last meeting on January 22, it had extended the ban on physical rallies and roadshows till January 31 in the five states but had allowed public meetings with a maximum of 500 people in the constituencies going to polls in the first two phases and relaxed door-to-door campaign rules.

 

The Commission has been reviewing the situation regularly and has been granting relaxations to ensure that the virus does not spread and parties get an opportunity to hold physical campaigning in the restricted format.

7:20 PM

CM Channi in third Congress list for Punjab polls, to contest two seats

The Congress party on Sunday released its third list of eight candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab which revealed that sitting Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will contest from two seats.

The party has fielded the Chief Minister from the Bhadaur constituency also.

Notably, Congress had earlier announced that Channi will be contesting from Chamkaur Sahib seat from where he is the sitting MLA and which he has been representing since 2007.

Manish Bansal is the son of Pawan Kumar Bansal, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader, who will contest from Barnala.

7:13 PM

Cash-strapped Pakistan looks to secure $3-billion loan from China

Cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to secure a $3-billion (PKR 529 billion) loan from China and investments in half a dozen sectors during Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Beijing next week, according to a media report on Sunday.

Khan will visit the Chinese capital on February 3 to attend the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics and to also meet the top Chinese leadership on the sidelines for bilateral talks.

The Express Tribune reported quoting government sources that a final meeting to shape the agenda of the visit would take place on Tuesday.

A senior finance ministry official said the government was considering requesting China to approve another loan to the tune of USD 3 billion in China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange, known as SAFE deposits, so as to boost its foreign exchange reserves.

China has already placed around $11 billion (PKR 1.940 trillion) with Pakistan in the shape of commercial loans and foreign exchange reserves support initiatives, including $4 billion (PKR 705 billion) in SAFE deposits.

The Chinese money is part of the country's current official foreign exchange reserves recorded at $16.1 billion (PKR 2.8 trillion).

7:11 PM

Will move SC for early restoration of elected govt in J-K: NPP

Accusing the BJP-led government of deliberately delaying Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Panthers Party (NPP) on Sunday said it is contemplating filing a petition in the Supreme Court for early restoration of a democratically-elected government in the union territory.

NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said an inordinate delay in the restoration of a democratic government in Jammu and Kashmir was not only unconstitutional but it also amounted to contempt of the highest court of the county.

Referring to the judgments of the Supreme Court that mandated timely conduct of Assembly elections, Singh accused the central government and the Election Commission of India of defying the apex court's orders for vested interests.

The Supreme Court in its September 2018 judgment had ruled that the process of conducting Assembly elections in states, where the premature dissolution of the Lower House took place, needed to be completed within a period of six months from the date of dissolution of the House, he said.

Even in its recent judgment announced last week pertaining to the state of Maharashtra, the Supreme Court reiterated that there is a statutory obligation to fill Assembly seats within six months so as to ensure that the people are not deprived of due representation, Singh pointed out.

6:33 PM

Odisha: BJD, BJP, Cong seek votes in single poster as disputed Kotia goes to polls

Perhaps for the first time in the political history of Odisha, three rival parties - the BJD, Congress and the BJP - appeared in a single poster as they fielded consensus candidates in the three-tier panchayat elections in a border region disputed by Andhra Pradesh.

Such posters and banners bearing photographs of senior leaders of the three parties seeking votes for the consensus candidates are now seen in Kotia region of Koraput district where voting will be held on February 18.

The parties decided to select consensus candidates for sarpanch, samity member, and ward member posts in Kotia instead of going for elections in Kotia gram panchayat where AP held panchayat elections a year ago despite Odisha's objection citing a Supreme Court directive to maintain status quo in the disputed area.

The three parties have filed Mamata Jani as the candidate for Zilla Parishad member post of Zone-1 under Pottangi block. Apart from Kotia Gram Panchayat, the Zone-I also comprises GPs of Maliput, Pukali, Pottangi, Deopattangi, Gangrajpur, Nuaguda and Sunki. Jani is contesting as an independent candidate.

The troika has fielded consensus candidates in other posts of the region. Except the Zilla Parishad seats, candidates of other posts contest without party symbols.

6:30 PM

AP adds over 10,000 new Covid-19 cases and 12 deaths

Andhra Pradesh registered 10,310 fresh cases of Covid-19 on Sunday.

In 24 hours ending 9 AM on Sunday, 9,692 infected people had recovered while 12 more succumbed in the state, according to the latest bulletin.

The state Covid-19 chart now showed a total of 22,70,491 positives, 21,39,854 recoveries and 14,606 deaths till date.

The active caseload is now 1,16,031, the bulletin said.

Only four districts reported new coronavirus cases in excess of 1,000 each, with the highest being 1,697 in Kadapa. Eight districts registered fresh cases in three digits each while the remaining one added 99, the lowest in the state.

Kadapa and Visakhapatnam districts reported three more Covid-19 deaths each, followed by SPS Nellore (two), Chittoor, Guntur, Prakasam and Srikakulam one each in a day.

5:49 PM

Former minister U T Khader named Cong deputy leader in Karnataka Assembly

The Congress on Sunday appointed party MLA and former Minister U T Khader as the Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the state legislative Assembly.

He currently represents the Mangalore Assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada district.

"Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri U T Khader, MLA as Deputy leader of Congress Legislative Party in Karnataka Legislative Assembly, with immediate effect," an AICC release signed by party General Secretary K C Venugopal said.

Khader said it is his utmost privilege and honour to be appointed as Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the legislative assembly.

5:32 PM

UK mulls more troops for NATO amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is yet to receive a crucial report into alleged COVID lockdown breaches under his leadership, on Sunday tried to focus attention on the crisis with Russian troop build-up on the Ukrainian border.

Downing Street said the UK government is expected to bolster its offer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) with a major military deployment to strengthen Europe's borders in the face of rising Russian aggression.

UK officials will be deployed to Brussels to finalise the details of the offer with NATO next week, and ministers will discuss the military options on Monday.

"This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin we will not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always stand with our NATO allies in the face Russian hostility, said Johnson.

"If President Putin chooses a path of bloodshed and destruction, it will be a tragedy for Europe. Ukraine must be free to choose its own future. I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies on land, at sea and in the air, he said.

5:31 PM

Rakesh Tikait slams govt, says farmers to observe 'Betrayal Day' on Monday

Alleging betrayal by the Centre, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Sunday announced a country-wide observance of "Betrayal Day" on Monday over farm issues.

The national spokesperson of the influential north Indian farmers' union claimed the over-a-year-long protest at Delhi's borders was withdrawn on the basis of a letter of promises by the government on December 9 but those remain unfulfilled.

"A nation-wide 'Betrayal Day' will be observed on January 31 because of government's betrayal to farmers. The movement was suspended on the basis of a letter given by the government on December 9 but those promises have not been fulfilled, Tikait, whose BKU is a part of the SKM, said in a tweet in Hindi.

The protest on Delhi's borders had started under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a farmers' collective, in November 2020 over the main demands of withdrawal of three contentious farm laws that were introduced by the BJP-led Centre.

The farmers, who occupied key border points of Singhu , Tikri and Ghazipur for over a year, also demanded a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) of crops.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in November 2021 announced that the contentious farm laws would be rolled back, leading to the protestors eventually vacating Delhi borders in December.

5:27 PM

Vistara cancels, reschedules several Feb flights; passengers complain

Vistara has cancelled and rescheduled a significant number of its February flights during the last few days, aviation industry sources said on Sunday.

Moreover, during the last few days, a considerable number of affected passengers have stated on social media that they have been facing difficulties in contacting Vistara's customer care.

Vistara spokesperson, however, told PTI that the airline is adjusting "capacity to demand" in view of the "volatility" in the Indian aviation market due to the current COVID-19 wave and resultant restrictions imposed by the state governments.

ISRO Scientist Shibasish Prusty tweeted on Sunday that his Delhi-Bhubaneswar flight for February 5 has been cancelled and Vistara's customer care number is a "cheap gimmick" as it has been busy for the last 48 hours.

Another passenger Arpit Singh Khurana said on Saturday on Twitter that his Delhi-Kolkata flight for February 12 has been cancelled by Vistara and his calls to the customer service number are going unattended.

5:26 PM

Beijing seals off more residential areas, reports 12 Covid-19 cases

Beijing officials said Sunday they sealed off several residential communities in the city's northern district after two cases of COVID-19 were found.

Residents in the Anzhenli neighborhood in Chaoyang district were sealed off on Saturday, and will not be allowed to leave their compound.

Beijing is on high alert as it prepares to host the Olympic Games opening on Friday.

While the cases are low compared to other countries in the region, China has double down on its zero-tolerance policy, which includes breaking the chain of transmission as soon as it is found.

The city is also setting up 19 points in the area to test residents every day until Friday, officials said at a briefing on the pandemic, according to state-backed Beijing News.

The Chinese capital reported a total of 12 cases of COVID-19 between 4 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, said Pang Xinghuo, the vice head of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control. All those cases came from people who were already under some kind of pandemic control measures.

5:16 PM

24 women in Congress' fourth list of 61 UP candidates released Sunday

The Congress on Sunday released fourth list of 61 candidates including 24 women for the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh to be held in seven phases.

So far the party has given tickets to 127 women in UP. In the first list of 125 candidates, 50 are women; in the second list of 41 candidates, 16 are women; and in the third list of 89 candidates, 37 are women.

The fourth list includes candidates from Rae Bareli and Amethi. From Harchandpur, Surender Vikram Singh has been given ticket and from Sareni, Sudha Dwivedi has been fielded. Both seats are in Rae Bareli. In Amethi from Gauriganj, Mohd Fateh Bahadur is being fielded.

4:49 PM

Pharma industry eyes higher fund allocation for health in budget

India has been facing the Covid pandemic for two years now and the pharma industry has witnessed ups and downs during this period while the government has introduced some policies to strengthen India's healthcare industry during the crisis.

But public health expenditure, as a share of country's gross domestic product, is still low and the industry stakeholders are hopeful of a change this year as Covid has provided an opportunity to increase health spending in this budget.

"The Indian pharmaceutical industry is of strategic importance for the country, providing access to affordable quality medicines across the world. The pharmaceutical industry is science-based and knowledge-driven with scientific developments evolving at a rapid pace. The budget should spur innovation and set the pace for taking the pharmaceutical industry to the next level," Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, told IANS.

He said that the primary thrust for the Indian pharmaceutical industry going forward should be to move up the value chain by scaling up R&D and innovation to meet the unmet needs of patients across the world.

"The industry should evolve from 'Make in India' to 'Make and Discover in India, for India and World' fulfilling the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," he added.

4:47 PM

Miffed over seat allocation, DMK workers block TN minister's car

A section of DMK workers on Sunday blocked the vehicle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji alleging that he was instrumental in allocating two seats for the alliance party in the forthcoming urban civic body elections in the corporation here and neglecting the party in the process.

The DMK workers were waiting at three gates of the 750-bed KMCH Medical College and Hospital where Balaji inaugurated new medical equipment.

As the minister came out, the workers blocked his car and raised questions on allotting seats in Ward 18 and 54 to the DMK's alliance party and damaging the prospects of the ruling party, police said.

However, Balaji, who is DMK in-charge of the district and also negotiating with alliance parties on seat allotment, left without responding to the workers.

Police removed the protesting workers and cleared the road for the minister's convoy to go forward.

4:40 PM

Study finds exercise slows progression of Parkinson's disease

Researchers have discovered that people with early-stage Parkinson's disease, who regularly got one to two hours of moderate exercise twice a week, may have less trouble doing daily physical activities later.

The study has been published in the 'Neurology Journal'.

Researchers found that those who exercised regularly over five years did better on cognitive tests and had slower progression of the disease in several aspects.

"Our results are exciting, because they suggest it may never be too late for someone with Parkinson's to start an exercise program to improve the course of their disease," said study author Kazuto Tsukita, MD, of Kyoto University in Japan and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

"That's because we found that to slow progression of the disease, it was more important for people with Parkinson's to maintain an exercise program than it was to be active at the beginning of the disease," Tsukita added.

4:36 PM

Import-export keeps happening: Anupriya Patel on exit of OBC leaders from BJP

Apna Dal (S) president Anupriya Patel on Sunday said "import-export" of leaders happens before elections and the recent exit of OBC legislators from the BJP will have no impact on the winning prospects of the NDA in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Ahead of the elections, which will begin next month, OBC leaders Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini quit the Yogi Adityanath cabinet and the BJP to join the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) along with some MLAs.

"It has become a tradition for leaders to switch sides before elections. Entry-exit and import-export keeps happening. I do not think people see this as something positive. They see it as opportunism," Anupriya Patel, a Union minister and a prominent backward community leader whose party is an ally of the BJP in the state, told PTI in an interview.

When asked about the exit of the other backward class (OBC) leaders, she said, "It is not going to affect the health of the (BJP-led) National Democratic Alliance (in the state)."

3:47 PM

Delhi court denies bail to Bulli Bai App's alleged creator Niraj Bishnoi

A Delhi court has dismissed the bail application of Niraj Bishnoi, the alleged creator of the Bulli Bai app, saying his offence was not only against the essence of womanhood but was also designed to disturb communal harmony.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana denied the relief to the accused on January 29, noting that the allegations against him were serious in nature and the investigation was at a nascent stage.

Several complaints were received by police stations in the country regarding the listing of Muslim women for "auction" on the 'Bulli Bai' mobile application with photographs sourced without permission and doctored. It has happened for the second time in less than a year.

The app appeared to be a clone of 'Sulli Deals' which triggered a similar row last year.

3:43 PM

Bengal Guv attacks Mamata govt again, alleges violence, human rights abuse

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, and launched another attack on the Mamata Banerjee government, stating that he cannot see "trampling of human rights" and the state "getting drenched" in violence.

Asserting that no amount of "insults" will deter him from performing his duties, Dhankhar said violence and democracy do not go together, and urged all to become messenger of peace and non-violence as a tribute to the father of the nation.

"I cannot see the hallowed land of Bengal getting blood drenched (in violence) and becoming a laboratory for trampling of human rights. People are saying that the state is turning into a gas chamber of democracy," Dhankhar said at Gandhi Ghat on the bank of Hooghly river at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district.

3:27 PM

France's Macron calls on Iran to release 62-yr-old jailed researcher

French President Emmanuel Macron called for the immediate release of a French-Iranian researcher imprisoned in Iran, officials said Sunday.

Macron made the plea in a long phone call on Saturday with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, according to a statement from the French presidency.

Fariba Adelkhah, a 62-year-old anthropologist, has been detained in Iran since June 2019. She had been under house arrest since October 2020, but was sent back to prison earlier this month.

Adelkhah was given a five-year sentence for gathering and collusion against Iran's security. French authorities said her conviction is purely political and arbitrary.

3:11 PM

Lata Mangeshkar responding well to treatment: Maharashtra Health Minister

Being admitted for nearly a month in Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar is currently showing positive signs of improvement in her treatment against COVID-19 and pneumonia.

Giving a health update about the megastar, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope informed, "I spoke with Dr Pratit Samdani who is treating singer Lata Mangeshkar. She's recovering, was on a ventilator for some days, but is better now. She is no more on ventilator. Only oxygen is being given to her. She is responding to the treatment."

The veteran singer had been admitted on January 8, after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia.

Dr Pratit Samdani, who is treating her, said that her ventilator support was removed two days ago as there was an improvement in her health, though she will continue to be under medical observation in ICU.

3:10 PM

Cong leader Taqueer Raza Khan's daughter-in-law joins BJP ahead of UP polls

Nida Khan, the daughter-law of Congress leader Maulana Taqueer Raza Khan joined Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday.

Khan, along with several leaders from Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Paty (BSP), and Congress joined the party on Sunday. The joinees include leaders like former Uttar Pradesh Minister and SP leader Shivcharan Prajapati and BSP leader Gangaram Ambedkar.

This comes as a huge blow for these respective parties ahead of the state assembly polls, which are scheduled to be held in February and March this year.

Nida Khan said while talking to ANI, "I have joined BJP because it brought Triple Talaq law and worked for empowerment of women of all religions."

3:08 PM

In a first, Assam to conduct leopard census from January 31

A first-of-its-kind Leopard census in Assam's forest and non-forest areas, initiated by North Kamrup Forest Division in Amingaon will kick off from January 31.

The counting will be done via the camera-trapping method. 50 cameras will be installed in Sila Reserve Forest, Changsari, NIPER, AIIMS etc surrounding Amingaon.

According to Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Choudhary, the camera trapping will be done for a period of 24 days and data from each camera will be extracted at an interval of every seven days.

A one-week execution program has been planned by North Kamrup Forest Division for conducting the census that will involve verifying camera traps, the study of maps, in-depth discussion with senior forest officials, volunteer participation plan, field survey and target location selection.

3:07 PM

Molestation case against local politician in Maharashtra

Police in Maharashtra have registered a case on charge of molestation against a local politician, an official said on Sunday.

The case was registered at Virar police station on Saturday under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) following a complaint by a woman auto-rickshaw driver, who alleged that the accused used to call her and seek sexual favours, senior police inspector Suresh Warade said.

The complainant had beaten up the accused with slippers on January 24 and a video of it went viral on social media platforms on Saturday.

No arrest has been made so far, the police said.

3:02 PM

Fielding Yogi from Gorakhpur will also maintain party grip on other seats, BJP hopes

The BJP seems to have strategically fielded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban in the assembly elections to maintain its sway over 62 seats in the region following desertion by some ministers hailing from the area.

Party insiders say Adityanath had campaigned vigorously in the 2017 polls in the region which had helped the saffron party win 44 of the 62 seats in Gorakhpur and nine other neighbouring districts.

The party has also got a prized catch in influential Congress leader R P N Singh to check the erosion in its support base among OBCs in the wake of recent exit of backward caste leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan as well as Om Prakash Rajbhar, who had quit earlier.

Maurya and Chauhan have joined the Samajwadi Party along with some OBC legislators. Rajbhar had contested the last polls in alliance with the BJP and was made a minister, but bid adieu to the saffron camp ahead of the 2019 general election.

3:00 PM

Odisha reports 19 more Covid deaths; toll mounts to 8,594

The Odisha government on Sunday confirmed death of another 19 persons due to Covid-19. The death toll in the state has now risen to 8,594.

According to State health department, highest five Covid deaths were reported from Khurda district while three deaths occurred in Ganjam, two in Angul, two in Nabarangpur and one each from Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Puri districts.

This list does not reflect deaths occurring on a particular day. It gives details of past deaths for which the death audit process has been duly completed and the cause of death has been identified as due to Covid-19, said the department.