Highlights of the day: Ladakh shuts down as thousands march for statehood

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11:46 PM

Ladakh shuts down as thousands march for statehood in freezing cold

A complete shutdown was observed across Ladakh as thousands marched demanding statehood and constitutional protections under the sixth schedule for the Union Territory. Protests were jointly organised by the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance. Thousands of men and women marched across the main city of Leh in freezing temperatures, shouting slogans demanding statehood for Ladakh, the implementation of the sixth schedule of the Constitution, and also separate parliament seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

11:07 PM

Jaideep Mazumdar appointed MEA Secretary

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Jaideep Mazumdar, Ambassador/Permanent Representative, Embassy of India, Vienna as Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs vice Shri Saurabh Kumar

9:59 PM

Sports Ministry suspends Paralympic Committee of India: Report

9:11 PM

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma expecting "second child"

Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers on Saturday revealed that star India batter Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. Speaking on his official YouTube channel, ABD said that Kohli has been spending "family time". He added that one cannot judge the former India skipper for prioritizing family.

8:49 PM

FY 2023-24: 1,700 fake ITC cases, 98 arrested

In the current Financial Year 2023-24 (up to December 2023), 1,700 fake ITC cases involving Rs 18,000 crores have been detected and 98 fraudsters/masterminds have been apprehended: Ministry of Finance

8:49 PM

Fiji's Deputy PM to visit Ayodhya

Biman Prasad, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji will visit Ayodhya on 8 February

8:17 PM

Khap is our culture, you cannot assess it on isolated incidents: VP Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said khap is our culture and a symbol of the depth of our civilisation, and it cannot be evaluated on the basis of some isolated incidents.

 

He said, "Look at our culture, khap (clan-based outfits). Go into the background of khap. You will find that khap is positive. You cannot assess it on isolated incidents," said Dhankhar.

 

Dhankhar also praised 'akharas' in Haryana, saying they have a glorious history.

 

Addressing a gathering in Faridabad after releasing a book '9 Incredible Years of Haryana Government: Emergence of a New and Vibrant Haryana' at Surajkund, he said India has changed in the past 10 years, from being in the news for scams, to now poised to becoming the third largest economy in the world in the next two and three years.

8:05 PM

CM Mann asks Punjab's NRIs to become active partners in state's social, economic growth

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday sought support of Punjab's NRIs to transform the state's economy.

 

Addressing a gathering of NRIs converging here during 'NRI Milni' (meeting NRIs), the chief minister said that during the previous regimes, the NRIs faced a lot of humiliation at the hands of officials.

 

However, a paradigm shift is being witnessed in the state ever since he assumed the charge of office as a number of initiatives have been taken for the welfare of the NRIs, Mann claimed.

 

It is just the beginning as several path-breaking initiatives are being taken to restore the pride of NRIs, said an official release quoting Mann. Mann said he is well-connected at the ground level so he is aware of the problems being faced by various sections of the society.

7:49 PM

ED approaches court after Arvind Kejriwal skips 5th summon

A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal skipped the fifth summons in the alleged liquor policy scam, the Enforcement Directorate has approached a court and complained that he has not appeared for questioning. The Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi will hear the case on Wednesday. Kejriwal had refused to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Friday and has repeatedly claimed that the summonses issued were illegal and the agency's only aim is to arrest him. Speculation about the AAP chief's arrest has been rife ever since the first summons was issued by the agency on November 2. Two other AAP leaders - former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh - were taken into custody in connection with the case last year. 

 

6:41 PM

Hemant Soren's arrest: Jharkhand HC hearing

Jharkhand High Court has scheduled the hearing for the petition filed by former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, challenging his arrest by the ED on February 5

6:26 PM

AICWA urges FIR: Poonam Pandey & Manager

6:25 PM

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami held a cabinet meeting

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says "Many issues were discussed, in this session we will bring UCC, whatever formalities are being completed. After this, there will be another cabinet meeting after which the draft will be brought."

6:05 PM

US reprisals against Iran-linked groups anger Iraq, Syria

The United States launched overnight air strikes against Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, drawing condemnation from both governments Saturday, and promised more to come in retaliation for a deadly attack on US troops. The United States blamed Sunday's drone attack on a US base in Jordan on forces backed by Iran, but did not strike inside Iranian territory, with both Washington and Tehran seemingly keen to avoid all-out war.

5:56 PM

BSE changes daily limit on Paytm shares to 10% from 20% after stock plunges on RBI crackdown

BSE changes daily limit on Paytm shares to 10 per cent from 20 per cent after stock plunges on RBI crackdown, reports Livemint.

5:54 PM

Pakistan: Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi sentenced to seven years in 'un-Islamic nikah' case

A trial court has handed seven-year sentences each to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the "un-Islamic nikah" case at the Adiala jail on Saturday, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

 

The court has also asked Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to pay a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 500,000 each. The couple were present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced, according to Geo News report.

 

Senior civil judge Qudratullah announced the verdict today. The decision was announced a day after the hearing of the case was conducted inside the jail premises for 14 hours. The court had reserved its decision after the arguments were completed on Friday.

 

The judge pronounced the court's verdict in a case related to the plea registered by Bushra Bibi's former husband, Khawar Maneka against what he refers to as an un-Islamic and illegal nikah with Imran Khan.

5:35 PM

Kejriwal 'crownless king' of corruption, says BJP

The BJP attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal calling him the "crownless king of corruption who is always on the run" after a drama unfolded at his residence as a crime branch team arrived to serve him a notice. The notice was served to join a probe over his claim that the saffron party was trying to poach AAP MLAs.

5:34 PM

The CAT III enabled Runway 10/28 at the Delhi Airport has been operationalised today: Scindia

This would ensure further mitigation of weather-related congestion issues.

5:33 PM

Communist Party of India holds meeting with DMK over seat-sharing talks for upcoming Lok Sabha Election 2024

4:08 PM

Bharat Ratna to LK Advani is honour to ideology of nation first: PM Modi in Odisha

"Today is a day of pride and honour for every worker of the BJP. Today, the country has announced to confer Lal Krishna Advani ji with Bharat Ratna. This award is given to honour the tradition of service to the nation...This is a respect for the transformation from a party with two MPs to becoming the largest party in the country and the world," said PM Modi. 

3:53 PM

Celebs, social media users roast Poonam Pandey for death hoax: 'Worst publicity stunt'

"Ridiculous", "disgraceful" and "a new low" is how internet users and several celebrities reacted to actor-model Poonam Pandey's reappearance on social media a day after her team claimed that she died from cervical cancer.

 

Pandey's team had on Friday dropped the bombshell news of her death from the disease, but it was a hoax, a stunt pulled off by the actor, who appeared in a video on Saturday and declared that she is "alive".

 

The intention behind the stunt, according to Pandey, was to spread awareness about cervical cancer.

 

However, the stunt didn't land well with the social media users, including celebrities like Pooja Bhatt, Sara Khan, Aly Goni and Rahul Vaidya, who furiously slammed Pandey for faking her death and demeaning an important cause.

 

Bhatt, who was among the celebs who had offered condolences on Pandey's alleged death, said she has deleted her earlier post.

 

"I never delete tweets but did so in the case where I expressed my shock at news of Poonam Pandey's demise due to cervical cancer. Why? Turns out the news was engineered by a digital/PR team. Absolute disgrace & disservice to those battling the same-her included," she posted on X.

3:41 PM

Maldives seeks info from India over its coast guard's alleged activities within Maldivian territory

The Maldives' government has formally requested the Indian government to provide "comprehensive details" of an incident in which its coast guard personnel allegedly boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels operating within its economic zone.

 

The development is the latest in the diplomatic row between the two nations that led to the strain in bilateral ties after President Mohamed Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, came to power in November last year in the Maldives.

 

There was no immediate response from the Indian government to the Maldivian allegations.

 

On January 31, the Indian Army intercepted a Maldivian fishing boat engaged in fishing activities within the Maldives' Special Economic Zone (EEZ), located 72 nautical miles northeast of Dhidhdhoo, Haa Alifu Atoll, the Maldives' defence ministry claimed in a statement on Friday.

 

It said that the Indian troops boarded three fishing boats within the Maldives EEZ without prior consultation with relevant authorities, thereby breaching international maritime laws and regulations.

3:40 PM

Drama at CM Kejriwal's residence as Delhi Police arrives again to serve notice

Drama unfolded at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here Saturday as a crime branch team arrived again to serve him a notice to join a probe over his claim that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs.

 

The team led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)-level officer insisted they will hand over the notice to Kejriwal only as it is on his name, while officials at the CM's residence said they are ready to take the notice and give a receiving.

 

Outside the premises, AAP leader Jasmine Shah was seen trying to seek explanation from a crime branch official on the legal provision under which he was insisting on handing over the notice to Kejriwal personally.

 

"I asked a simple question to the Delhi police officer standing in front of the entrance of the residence of CM Arvind Kejriwal: Under which law is he insisting to hand over a notice personally to CM? He had no answers. It is clear they are only here to do nautanki (drama)," Shah wrote posting a video on X.

 

Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed the police were deliberately not delivering the notice to the CM's office.

3:39 PM

US issues travel advisory for Americans ahead of Feb 8 general elections in Pakistan

The US has issued a travel advisory for American citizens visiting Pakistan and asked them to exercise caution ahead of the general elections scheduled for February 8, and also warned of potential poll-related violence.

 

The US Embassy in Pakistan on Friday issued an advisory and asked its citizens to remain vigilant and aware of the locations of political rallies occurring in areas they intend to visit.

 

The advisory said on February 8, election day, areas around polling stations may be crowded and US citizens not eligible to participate in Pakistan's elections should avoid them.

 

The mission noted that political parties in Pakistan were campaigning actively, such as taking out marches, rallies, and speeches, which are intrinsic to any democratic process. However, it further said that such public gatherings have the potential to block traffic, disrupt transportation and create obstacles to free movement and safety.

2:46 PM

Indian economy likely to grow at 6.7% between fiscals 2024 to 2031: CRISIL

The Indian economy is likely to grow at an average rate of 6.7 per cent per annum until the end of the decade, CRISIL said in its latest report. The economy will grow at this rate between the financial years 2024 to 2031, a notch above the pre-pandemic average of 6.6 per cent.

2:37 PM

State Bank of India Q3 result: Net profit declines 35%, misses forecast

Net profit fell to Rs 9,164 crore ($1.1 billion) in its fiscal third quarter from Rs 14,205 crore in the same period a year earlier, SBI reported in a stock exchange filing.

 

2:08 PM

Our govt has provided assistance to athletes to excel, flourish: PM Modi

PM Modi on Saturday lauded his government's efforts for providing a nurturing ecosystem to atheletes. He said that the central government has provided 3,000 players with assistance worth Rs 50,000 per month through "Khelo India" scheme.

1:59 PM

PM Modi to visit Odisha, address first public meeting in state in nearly five years

PM Modi visited the state when cyclone Fani hit the state just after the 2019 elections. He came here again after cyclone Amphan in 2020, and then in June last year following the triple train crash in Balasore.

 

1:46 PM

Pak court likely to announce verdict in Imran Khan and wife's marriage case

A Pakistan court is expected to announce on Saturday its verdict in a case challenging the 'un-Islamic' marriage of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to his third wife, Bushra Bibi.

 

1:20 PM

Poonam Pandey is alive, appears in cervical cancer awareness video

Poonam Pandey has appeared in a cervica cancer awareness video and said she is "alive". This comes a day after news reports surfaced saying that the actress had died of cervical cancer.

12:44 PM

ED to transfer Hemant Soren from jail to its office for questioning

JMM Chief and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren will be brought to Enforcement Directorate's office for questioning. He will be transferred from the Birsa Munda Jail for the purpose.