Lok Sabha polls | Trinamool Congress, AAP rule out alliance with Congress
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on January 24 ruled out any alliance with the Congress in the State for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. “I had no discussions with the Congress party or anyone else. We had given a proposal which they refused from the start. Since then, our party has decided that we will fight alone in West Bengal,” Ms. Banerjee said. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too reiterated that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will win all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab in 2024 general election, dismissing possibility of alliance with the Congress party in the State. Mr. Mann said, “AAP is not going with them (Congress)“, in response to a question about electoral alliance between AAP and the Congress in Punjab.
Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down military transport plane, killing 65 Ukrainian POWs aboard
Russia’s Defence Ministry on January 24 accused Ukrainian forces of shooting down a military transport plane, killing all 74 people aboard, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war being swapped. Ukrainian officials did not comment on the crash in Russia’s Belgorod border region, and The Associated Press could not confirm who was aboard or other details on what brought the plane down. Officials in Kyiv cautioned against sharing unverified information.
Rahul Gandhi to be arrested after Lok Sabha elections: Assam CM
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, against whom an FIR has been registered here on the charge of instigating violence will be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on January 24. The Assam police suo motu registered the FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several other leaders for “wanton acts of violence” here during the party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 23. ‘’We have filed an FIR. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) will conduct the investigation and he (Gandhi) will be arrested after the Lok Sabha elections’‘, Mr. Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme at Nazira in Sibsagar district.
Rahul Gandhi dares Assam Police to file more FIRs; says he won’t be intimidated
A day after Guwahati Police filed a case against him and other Congress leaders for allegedly provoking crowd, Rahul Gandhi dared the BJP-ruled state to file “as many cases as they can” but still he will not be intimidated. Addressing his first public meeting on the 7th day of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Barpeta district, the Congress leader slammed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and termed him the “most corrupt CM” of the country with a series of allegations related to land and areca nut.
The Delhi High Court on January 24 disposed of a petition seeking registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi for revealing the identity of an alleged rape victim after taking note of the submissions by the Congress leader, the city police and social media platform X (formerly, Twitter). The counsel for social media platform X confirmed before the court that Mr. Gandhi deleted the tweet himself.
Gyanvapi mosque survey | Varanasi court allows both parties to have access to ASI report
A Varanasi district court judge on January 24 allowed all parties to get the certified copy of the report of Archaeological Survey of India survey done at the Gyanvapi mosque. The ASI, earlier this month, had asked the court to not to make the ASI report public or share it with other parties as this would spread misinformation as the matter is also sub judice in the Allahabad High court
Hearing on Umar Khalid’s bail plea in UAPA case adjourned to January 31 by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on January 24 adjourned till January 31 the hearing on the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020. A bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Ujjal Bhuyan deferred the matter as the bench was available only till lunch.
Money-laundering probe | NCP MLA Rohit Pawar appears before Enforcement Directorate
Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar, grandnephew of party patriarch Sharad Pawar, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on January 24 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam in 2019. The 38-year-old first-time legislator from Karjat-Jamkhed strolled from the party office to the ED office in South Mumbai’s Ballard Estate after he met Mr. Sharad Pawar and his daughter, Baramati MP Supriya Sule, seeking their blessings.
Gauhati High Court asks Assam government to explain its socio-economic survey of indigenous Muslims
The Gauhati High Court has sought an explanation from the Assam government regarding its decision to conduct a socio-economic survey of the State’s indigenous Muslim population. An order seeking the explanation within four weeks was issued by Justice L.S. Jamir on January 22, after hearing a petition filed by Fazluzzaman Mazumder, an advocate and member of the All India Save Education Committee.
Police arrest two for attack on procession in Thane on Ram temple idol consecration day
Two persons have been arrested by the police following an attack on a procession in Maharashtra’s Thane district earlier this week, officials said on January 24. The incident occurred in Padgha area on Monday during the consecration of Lord Ram’s idol at the Ayodhya temple. This is the third incident reported in this district. Earlier, members of two communities clashed during a vehicle rally organised in the Muslim-dominated Naya Nagar locality in the district on Sunday night following which 13 people were taken in custody.
Thousands of people forced out of homes after 7.1 quake hit western China
As aftershocks continued to rock western China on January 24, more than 12,000 people were staying in tents and other shelters, lighting bonfires to fend off the freezing weather. The previous day, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in a remote part of China’s Xinjiang region killed three people and left five injured, while damaging hundreds of buildings. The earthquake caused significant damage amid freezing temperatures, but the toll on lives and property was relatively light, owing to the sparse population around the epicentre in Uchturpan county, near the border with Kazakhstan.
U.S. asks China to urge Iran to curb Red Sea attacks by Houthis, Financial Times reports
The United States has asked China to urge Tehran to rein in the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea but has seen little sign of help from Beijing, the Financial Times reported, citing U.S. officials. The U.S. has repeatedly raised the matter with top Chinese officials in the past three months, the report said. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his deputy, Jon Finer, discussed the issue in meetings this month in Washington with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Liaison Department of China’s Communist Party, the newspaper said.
India business growth at four-month high in January: PMI
India’s business activity expanded at the fastest pace in four months in January on stronger demand, according to a private survey that also showed input costs rising at the quickest rate since August. The findings indicate Asia’s third-largest economy would continue to hold onto its title as the fastest growing major economy in the near-term at least. India will grow 6.9% in the current fiscal year, a Reuters poll showed on January 24.
DGCA slaps ₹1.10 crore penalty on Air India for safety violations
Aviation watchdog DGCA has slapped a fine of ₹1.10 crore on Air India for safety violations with respect to flights operated on certain long routes. The regulator carried out a detailed probe after receiving a voluntary safety report from an airline employee alleging safety violations of flights operated by Air India on certain long range terrain critical routes, according to a release.
Australia Open | Dayana Yastremska, Daniil Medvedev reach semifinals
Third seed Daniil Medvedev was forced to dig deep into his reserves to outlast Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(4) 2-6 6-3 5-7 6-4 in the tightest of quarter-finals on January 24 and reach the last four of the Australian Open for third time. The Russian, twice a losing finalist at Melbourne Park, went toe-to-toe with the big Pole for almost four energy-sapping hours on Rod Laver Arena before finally setting up a clash with Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev. Dayana Yastremska beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-3 6-4 on January 24 to book a semi-final spot at the Australian Open, becoming the first women’s qualifier to reach the last four in Melbourne since the 1978 tournament. Battling in 30 degrees Celsius heat, the Ukrainian’s powerful forehand eventually overcame the 19-year-old Czech, who was the youngest player left in the draw. Yastremska, 23, follows in the footsteps of Christine Dorey, the last qualifier to reach the Melbourne Park semis 45 years ago.
