1. New 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Turkey-Syria border
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake at a depth of two km (1.2 miles) struck the Turkey-Syria border region on Monday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The report came hours after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Turkey that Washington would help “for as long as it takes” after devastating, deadly earthquakes in the same region two weeks ago.
2. Modi, Singaporean counterpart to witness launch of real-time payment systems linkage between two countries
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong will witness the launch of cross-border connectivity between the Unified Payments Interface of India and PayNow of Singapore on Tuesday via video conferencing, his office said. The Prime Ministers will witness the launch at 11 am today.
3. Uddhav Thackeray camp of Shiv Sena moves SC against EC decision
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain an oral mentioning made by the Uddhav Thackeray camp to urgently list on February 21 their plea challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India allowing rival Eknath Shinde faction the Shiv Sena symbol of ‘bow and arrow’. “Let the matter be kept tomorrow,” he urged the CJI. “Mr. Singhvi, Everything has to be done in an uniform manner. Come in the list tomorrow,” the CJI said, refusing Mr. Singhvi his chance.
4. Three more houses damaged due to ‘sinking’ of land in Ramban, 16 families shifted so far; GSI to visit on Tuesday
Three more residential houses and a 33-kV power transmission line were damaged due to “sinking” of land in the hilly Duksar Dalwa village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, officials said on Monday. A team of Geological Survey of India (GSI) is visiting the village on Tuesday to ascertain the reasons for the sudden “sinking” of land, which has so far rendered 16 families homeless besides damaging a 500-metre stretch of now closed Sangaldan-Gool road, the officials said.
5. Minister murder issue set to dominate Odisha assembly budget session
With Odisha Police yet to ascertain the motive behind the assassination of minister Naba Kishore Das allegedly by a policeman even after 23 days, the opposition BJP and Congress announced they will make the incident a major issue during the budget session of the Assembly commencing Tuesday.
6. Rajya Sabha chairman asks privilege panel to investigate ‘disorderly conduct’ of 12 opposition MPs
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has asked a parliamentary committee to investigate the alleged breach of privilege by 12 MPs from the Congress and the AAP for repeatedly entering the well of the House, shouting slogans and obstructing its proceedings.
7. Nikki Yadav murder case: Delhi Court extends Sahil Gehlot’s police custody by 2 days
A metropolitan court here on Monday extended the police custody of Sahil Gehlot, accused of killing his girlfriend Nikki Yadav and stuffing her body into a refrigerator in southwest Delhi, by two days. The link court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samiksha Gupta remanded the other five co-accused in the case in judicial custody for 14 days.
8. India, Uzbekistan begin 2-week military exercise in Pithoragarh
The armies of India and Uzbekistan on Monday began a two-week military exercise in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh with an aim to enhance operational interoperability. The fourth edition of joint military exercise ‘Dustlik’ commenced in Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand).
9. India to pitch for issues relating to macroeconomic stability, inclusive growth at key G20 meetings
India is expected to pitch for focusing on issues relating to macroeconomic stability and inclusive growth at the upcoming meetings of G20 finance and foreign ministers that are taking place under the shadow of the Ukraine conflict. India is also hosting a conclave on Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) next month to which all the “friendly neighbouring” countries have been invited, people familiar with the matter said on Monday, indicating that Pakistan is not among the invitees for the conclave.
10. Trump absent as Iowa 2024 GOP caucus train begins to roll
Nikki Haley is swinging through Iowa this week fresh off announcing her presidential campaign. Her fellow South Carolinian Republican, Sen. Tim Scott, will also be here as he decides his political future. And former Vice President Mike Pence was just in the state courting influential evangelical Christian activists. After a slow start, Republican presidential prospects are streaming into the leadoff presidential caucus state. Notably absent from the lineup, at least for now, is former President Donald Trump.
11. Seattle considers historic law barring caste discrimination
Among Kshama Sawant’s earliest memories of the caste system was hearing her grandfather — a man she “otherwise loved very much” — utter a slur to summon their lower-caste maid. The Seattle City Council member, raised in an upper-caste Hindu Brahmin household in India, was 6 when she questioned her grandfather about it. He responded that his granddaughter “talked too much.” Now 50, and an elected official in a city far from India, Sawant has proposed an ordinance to add caste to Seattle’s anti-discrimination laws. If the council approves it Tuesday, Seattle will become the first U.S. city to specifically outlaw caste discrimination.
12. Japan to give Ukraine $5.5B, host online G-7 plus Zelenskyy
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday announced a new $5.5 billion financial aid for Ukraine and will mark the first anniversary of the war by hosting an online Group of Seven summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kishida, speaking at a global forum in Tokyo organised by a Japanese think tank, said Ukraine still suffers under the Russian invasion and its people need help to rebuild their daily lives and infrastructure that’s been badly damaged by Russian attacks.
13. WB govt employees on 48-hour ‘pens down’ seeking DA parity with centre
West Bengal government employees stuck to their decision to hold a 48-hour `pens down’ from Monday seeking DA parity with the centre, ignoring warnings of action which may be taken.
14. Madagascar, Mozambique set for ‘dangerous’ Cyclone Freddy
A cyclone which is intensifying as it approaches the southeastern African coast has been labeled as “dangerous” by the United Nation’s weather agency on Monday as nations brace for landfall. Cyclone Freddy is projected to reach Madagascar on Tuesday evening and hurtle toward Mozambique by the end of the week. The tropical cyclone is equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane and is expected to dump heavy rain and bring turbulent winds.
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