At least 10 killed as two ships carrying Indian, Turkish, Libyan crew catch fire near Russia
At least 10 people were killed when two ships carrying Indian, Turkish and Libyan crew members caught fire in the Kerch Strait between Russia and Crimea on Monday. A spokesperson at the Novorossiysk maritime rescue center said 10 bodies have been recovered and 12 people were rescued while 10 remain missing.
Read more here.
India lodges protest against Pakistan for threatening two diplomats in Islamabad
India has accused intelligence agencies of Pakistan of intercepting and threatening two staff members of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week. The Indian diplomats in Islamabad were reportedly questioned about an alleged incident of inappropriate behaviour by an official of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.
Read more here.
Assam: Police arrest 30 Rohingya Muslims from Churaibari near Tripura border
The Assam Police on Monday arrested at least 30 Rohingya, including 12 children, from Churaibari village near the Tripura border. The arrests took place even as a group of 31 Rohingya Muslims, including 16 children, remain stuck near the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura after both countries refused to accept them.
Read more here.
India’s high fiscal deficit a cause for concern, says IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath
International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath on Monday flagged risks associated with India’s high fiscal deficit. “In the case of India what we flag is the fact that the overall consolidated fiscal deficit remains high and it has been the case for the last five years,” Gopinath said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland.
Read more here.
Delhi-NCR hit by heavy rain, hailstorm; Jammu-Srinagar national highway closed due to snowfall
Heavy rain and hailstorms swept across parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region on Monday night and early Tuesday. In Jammu and Kashmir, authorities on Tuesday closed the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which links the Valley with the rest of the country, due to snowfall.
Read more here.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: Centre spent 56% of funds on publicity, minister tells Lok Sabha
More than 56% of the funds for the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” scheme have been allocated for media-related activities since 2014-’15, with less than 25% being distributed to states and districts, information released by the government has shown. The scheme, launched in January 2015, attempts to address the declining child sex ratio and other issues of women empowerment in India.
Read more here.
Interim CBI director transfers 20 officers, including those probing 2G scam and Sterlite protests
Central Bureau of Investigation interim director M Nageswara Rao transferred 20 officers on Monday, just two days before a committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to select a new chief for the agency.
Read more here.
BJP cancels Narendra Modi’s rally in Kolkata citing ‘present circumstances’, short notice
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday announced that it has cancelled a proposed rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground on February 8. Modi will instead address a public meeting in Asansol the same day, said state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh.
Read more here.
Police say ‘missing’ boat from Kerala, with at least 100 on board, may be heading to New Zealand
The police on Monday said that a “missing” fishing boat with more than 100 people from Delhi and Tamil Nadu may be heading to New Zealan.
Read more here.
EVM hacking: AAP denies claims that it contacted ‘cyber expert’ Syed Shuja
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday rejected a self-proclaimed cyber expert’s claim that the party had contacted him to show how electronic voting machines could be hacked.
Read more here.
Gopinath Munde’s death: Nephew seeks probe after ‘cyber expert’ claims the BJP leader was killed
Nationalist Congress Party leader Dhananjay Munde on Monday demanded that the Research and Agency Wing or the Supreme Court investigate the allegations into the death of former Union minister Gopinath Munde made by a United States-based “cyber expert”.
Read more here.
Bhima Koregaon: Education rights forum demands withdrawal of charges against Anand Teltumbde
The All India Forum For Right To Education has condemned the threat to arrest activist Anand Teltumbde, who was charged in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1 last year.
Read more here.
Lok Sabha polls: Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar likely to launch Bihar campaign at joint rally in Patna
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will address a joint rally in Patna in late February or early March to launch the National Democratic Alliance’s 2019 General Elections campaign in the state.