News updates: PM Modi meets Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in Washington

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11:34 PM

PM Modi meets Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy

The bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is underway at Blair House in Washington, DC.

11:17 PM

PM Modi meets Elon Musk ahead of Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs

10:06 PM

Israel says rocket fired from Gaza but landed inside territory

The Israeli military said a rocket was fired from Gaza late Thursday but landed inside the territory, as the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas appeared to hold.

 

This appeared to be the first rocket fired from Gaza since the ceasefire began January 19. Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group did not immediately comment on the Israeli military report.

 

The military didn't say where the rocket was fired from inside Gaza. Although Hamas militants were once firing volleys of rockets each day out of Gaza, that dwindled to nearly zero over the course of the 15-month war.

 

Since the ceasefire went into effect, Israeli fire has killed at least 92 Palestinians and wounded more than 800 others, said Munir al-Bursh, director general of the Health Ministry, on Tuesday.

 

The Israeli military says it has fired on people who approach its forces or enter certain areas in violation of the truce.

9:47 PM

PM Modi meets US NSA Michael Waltz

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz here on Thursday.

 

Modi arrived in the US capital Wednesday evening for a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump.

 

The meeting with Waltz was his first engagement of the day.

 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval were also present at the meeting.

 

After arriving at Blair House, the President's Guest House, Modi met US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday.

 

Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she's always been a strong votary, Modi said on X.

 

Just hours before her meeting with Modi, Gabbard took the oath of office as the eight Director of National Intelligence in the presence of Trump.

8:24 PM

Modi-Trump to hold press conference

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a joint press conference on Thursday during Modi's visit to Washington, the White House announced. Their joint press conference with Trump is set for around 3:40 am Indian Standard Time (2200 GMT), the White House said on Wednesday.

7:41 PM

RBI bars New India Co-operative Bank from issuing new loans, taking deposits

RBI on Thursday barred Mumbai-based New India Co-operative Bank from issuing new loans or allowing the withdrawal of deposits due to supervisory concerns.

7:38 PM

President's rule imposed in Manipur days after Biren Singh's resignation

Manipur CM N Biren Singh resigned from his post on 9th February.

6:19 PM

Munich car ramming suspect is 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker: Police

5:26 PM

Trump's cryptic message ahead of meeting with PM Modi

Trump on Truth Social wrote, "Three great weeks, perhaps the best ever, but today is the big one: reciprocal tariffs!!! make america great again!!!"

5:24 PM

BJP leader Prakash Reddy hopes for positive outcomes from Modi-Trump meeting

BJP leader Prakash Reddy expressed optimism about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump, believing it would strengthen bilateral relations and address global issues. He hoped the talks would lead to solutions benefiting people worldwide. Reddy anticipated good results from the discussions between the two leaders.

4:55 PM

2 Brazilian women held for smuggling cocaine worth Rs 26 crore at Delhi airport: Customs

Two Brazilian women have been arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth nearly Rs 26 crore at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here in sperate cases, the customs department said on Thursday. The passengers, who arrived on the same flight, had concealed the narcotics by ingesting capsules, transporting them from South America to India via Europe, the department said.

 

4:42 PM

Hamas says it will release hostages as planned, apparently resolving ceasefire dispute

The Hamas militant group says it will release Israeli hostages as planned, apparently resolving a major dispute that threatened the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Hamas said Thursday that Egyptian and Qatari mediators have affirmed that they will work to “remove all hurdles,” and that the group will implement the ceasefire deal

3:22 PM

Delhi court to decide on cognisance in defamation case against Bansuri Swaraj

A Delhi court would on February 20 decide whether to take cognisance of a criminal defamation complaint filed by AAP leader Satyendra Jain against BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj. Additional chief judicial magistrate Neha Mittal on Thursday reserved the order after hearing arguments on the issue.

3:12 PM

Maharashtra cyber cell, Mumbai cops summon Samay Raina

The Maharashtra Cyber Department and Mumbai Police have asked comedian Samay Raina to appear before them in the next five days in connection with the controversial remarks made by Ranveer Allahbadia on a web show, officials said on Thursday. Raina is in the US and has sought more time to appear before the probing authorities, they said. The cyber cell and the Mumbai police are conducting separate investigations in connection with social media influencer Allahbadia's remarks on Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent"

2:01 PM

SC pulls up ED for using PMLA to keep accused in jail

The Supreme Court has pulled up the ED for using the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to keep an accused in jail and questioned if the provision was "being misused" like the dowry law. A bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan made the observation on Wednesday while granting bail to Arun Pati Tripathi, a former excise officer from Chhattisgarh. The top court expressed surprise at how the accused was kept in custody if a court order taking cognisance of the complaint was quashed by Chhattisgarh High Court.

 

1:21 PM

YSRCP leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi arrested in Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested YSRCP leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi in Hyderabad, pertaining to a case related to the attack on TDP Gannavaram office during the erstwhile YSRCP regime. An arrest notice was served to the former Gannavaram MLA by an additional DCP rank officer. Vamsi was picked up from a plush apartment complex at Rayadurgam in Hyderabad's Hi-Tech city area. He was booked under different sections of BNS and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

12:59 PM

News update: Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi say they are ending their talks on a business integration

12:29 PM

SC grants bail to Azam Khan, son in machine theft case

The Supreme Court has granted bail to former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan, who had challenged an order of the Allahabad High Court denying them bail in a machine theft case. "Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case which include the period of incarceration undergone by the appellants, and that the charge sheet has already been filed, we are inclined to set aside the impugned order and grant bail to the appellants.

12:28 PM

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan moves Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan on Thursday moved a Delhi court seeking anticipatory bail in a case of allegedly leading an attack on a police team in Jamia Nagar on February 10. Khan filed the application before Special Judge Jitendra Singh seeking protection from arrest before joining the investigation, claiming that the allegations levelled against him are false.

11:29 AM

LIVE updates: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid ruckus over Waqf Bill report

11:11 AM

PM Modi, Donald Trump will hold presser after their meet, said White House

After their bilateral meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will hold a press conference, said White House.

10:57 AM

No need to panic over bird flu, measures to control disease in place: Andhra minister

Andhra Pradesh minister K Athcannaidu has said there was no need to panic over the outbreak of Avian Influenza in the state as measures to control it are in place. The Animal Husbandry Minister warned against unnecessary rumour mongering, noting that some on social media are falsely pegging the number of dead chickens at 4 million.

10:35 AM

Delhi records minimum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius

The national capital on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 12 degree Celsius, 1.8 notches above season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The weather department has predicted strong winds during the day. The maximum temperature is expected to settle around 26 degree Celsius.

10:10 AM

Two held with Rs 22 lakh hybrid marijuana in Thane

Police have arrested two persons after seizing hybrid ganja valued at Rs 22.28 lakh from them in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Thursday. Acting on a tip, police kept a vigil at a place in Shahad area and spotted the two persons roaming in a suspicious manner on Tuesday evening.

Upon checking, the police seized 1.114 kg of the hybrid ganja from their possession, the official from Ulhasnagar police station said.

9:37 AM

Trump removal of Whistleblower Agency head blocked by judge

A federal judge in Washington blocked for now President Donald Trump from removing the head of an independent US agency that protects government whistleblowers. In a temporary restraining order issued Wednesday night, US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson found that Trump’s removal of Hampton Dellinger on Feb. 7 from the US Office of Special Counsel “plainly” went against US law. 

9:30 AM

Trump says negotiations to end Ukraine war will start ‘immediately’

Donald Trump said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed a desire for peace in separate phone calls with him on Wednesday, and Trump ordered top U.S. officials to begin talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

8:57 AM

Prime Minister Modi arrives in Washington

Prime Minister Modi arrived in the US on Wednesday where he will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday for his bilateral meeting. He received a rousing welcome from members of the Indian-American diaspora when he reached Blair House, the President's Guest House.