West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led central government of withholding funds, yet her government presented a pro-people budget. The state's interim budget of Rs 4.06 lakh crore for 2026-27 includes increased allowances for women, youth, and frontline workers, notably boosting the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme by Rs 500 monthly.
Reacting on X, Tharoor wrote: “The bizarre thing about this so-called ‘business decision’ by The Washington Post is that @ishaantharoor’s column flourished on the Internet,” adding that Ishaan Tharoor had “500,000 (half a million plus!) individual subscribers” for his WorldView newsletter. He said he had met foreign ministers, diplomats and scholars around the world who read the newsletter daily, and argued that the newspaper could have tried monetising that reach instead of abolishing it.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday raised concern over the safety and security of vulnerables after 807 people, mostly women and children, went missing in the first 15 days of the year 2026.
The Ministry of External Affairs has firmly denied a Bloomberg report alleging National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding a trade deal. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called the claims baseless, stating no such meeting occurred. This rebuttal follows recent announcements of a trade agreement between India and the US.
Lok Sabha was adjourned amid security concerns over alleged Congress plans to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite his presence. Opposition rejected the claims, accusing the government of stalling proceedings. The Prime Minister is expected to address the Rajya Sabha later.
Egg freezing in India is increasingly seen as a fertility preservation choice for all women, not just the married. Experts emphasize it empowers women to plan their reproductive future independently, offering flexibility to pursue careers and education without biological clock pressure. This proactive step is gaining traction among unmarried women, promoting informed decisions beyond societal norms.
The BJP has strongly criticised a Tamil Nadu minister's remarks about North Indian migrant workers, calling them derogatory and part of a pattern by the ruling DMK to fuel social divisions. The party highlighted the minister's comments about migrants working in low-paying jobs and questioned the silence of opposition alliance leaders, deeming such statements dangerous amidst rising violence against workers.
The Washington Post has undergone significant layoffs, impacting a substantial portion of its workforce, including foreign affairs columnist Ishaan Tharoor and numerous international correspondents. This restructuring drastically curtails the newspaper's global coverage, leading to the closure of bureaus and the elimination of key sections. The move has drawn sharp criticism from former editors and staff.
The UK's aviation regulator has requested information from Air India regarding maintenance on a Boeing 787 after a fuel control switch issue was reported in London. While Air India conducted precautionary checks and found no further issues, an NGO has lodged a complaint, urging the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau to secure evidence and maintain its independence.
The New Jalpaiguri–Chennai Central Superfast Express derailed near Jakhapura station in Odisha's Jajpur district at 8:51 am. One AC coach and two general coaches jumped off the tracks. No injuries or fatalities were reported, and passengers have been accommodated while the cause is investigated.
On choice of oil suppliers, Piyush Goyal said “Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of India’s actions are taken with this in mind.” The remark stood out against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s claims that India had decided to stop the purchase of Russian oil to secure a trade deal.
A division bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Sanjiv Kumar, in a 23-page ruling dated Jan 21, tore into contradictions they found in the prosecution’s case — from unreliable testimony of two eyewitnesses to omissions in FIR and what the court called “inherent improbabilities.” Dhani Ram and co-accused Satti Din had been convicted under IPC sections 302 read with 34 for accompanying Maiku during the killing.
When the bench told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who was representing both CBI and ED, to take preventive steps to ensure that investigation into the alleged fraud was not impeded, Mehta said that there was a look out circular (LOC) against Ambani, indicating that any attempt to flee the country would be foiled at the airport.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, a law graduate and perhaps the first CM to argue in-person before the apex court, watched for 20 minutes, as SC heard West Bengal counsel Shyam Divan on irregularities in SIR in the state. She was heard telling TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee “bolbo toh aaji (I will speak today)”.
According to the notification issued by UoK for the 2025-2027 session, only two colleges are recognised by National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and have invited applications from eligible candidates for admission to two-year BEd programmes. Syed Masroor Andrabi, chairperson of Chinab Valley College of Education, said BEd colleges in Kashmir stood at the verge of closure.
Asgar Ali Karbali, co-chairman of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, said detailed deliberations were held on statehood and the sixth schedule. “Before holding talks on these issues, we raised the issue of four youths who were ‘martyred’ in September last year and those who have been detained," he said. The first round of talks between the committee and Ladakhi representatives was held on Oct 22, 2025, in New Delhi.
CM Omar, who also holds the charge of law, justice and parliamentary affairs, also introduced another bill — J&K Eliminating Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy Bill-2026. It seeks to amend relevant enactments to eliminate discrimination against or denial of equal treatment to persons affected by leprosy, and to prevent their segregation and exclusion.
For several hours overnight, troops maintained a tight vigil using drones and ground surveillance before launching a final assault at daybreak. Both terrorists were killed in the morning operation, officials said. In Dichhar area of Kishtwar district, a suspected Pakistani terrorist was killed Wednesday evening in a running hunt across snowbound mountains.
Perhaps, Pakistan felt it had returned to its older role of indispensable intermediary as New Delhi remained the insouciant child who refused to bow to Trump’s diktats. Overnight, the illusion shattered as Trump announced the US had reached a trade agreement with India lowering tariffs on India’s exports to 18%. While most of the details about the deal are still being worked out, that didn’t stop a full-blown meltdown on Pakistani (or South Asian) Twitter.
India has finalized a significant trade deal with the US, a move that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval indicated India was willing to wait out President Trump's term for. Union Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed the agreement, emphasizing the protection of sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy. Both nations aim to more than double trade to $500 billion by 2030.
In a landmark achievement for preventive healthcare, Novaneo Hospital on Wednesday entered the Guinness Book of World Records by collecting the highest number of cervical cancer (Pap/HPV) screening gut samples within an eight-hour window, underscoring the growing role of hospital-led initiatives in large-scale disease prevention.
Parliament witnessed repeated disruptions on Wednesday as opposition protests and clashes with ruling party MPs led to multiple adjournments in the Lok Sabha. Opposition members raised allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticized the India-US trade deal, while Union Minister Piyush Goyal defended it. Heated exchanges also occurred between Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu.
Perhaps, Pakistan felt it had returned to its older role of indispensable intermediary as New Delhi remained the insouciant child who refused to bow to Trump’s diktats. Overnight, the illusion shattered as Trump announced the US had reached a trade agreement with India lowering tariffs on India’s exports to 18%. While most of the details about the deal are still being worked out, that didn’t stop a full-blown meltdown on Pakistani (or South Asian) Twitter.
