Assam assembly polls: BJP alleges illegal migration, vows repatriation, stresses cultural respect and development projects.
Campaign statements accused the opposition of using infiltration for vote-bank politics and asserted the incumbent government has halted illegal entries, will identify and repatriate those present unlawfully, and has recovered land from alleged encroachers; these immigration and demographic claims were presented as central electoral issues alongside cultural-respect arguments defending regional identity and examples of trade and infrastructure initiatives cited to justify continued governance.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister post: BJP to support Ajit Pawar family decision; CM to oversee budget continuity.
The state chief minister said the government and his party will support whatever decision the late leader's party and family take for the deputy chief minister post; NCP sources indicated the spouse of the deceased may be sworn in. The chief minister will personally oversee completion of budget procedures left by the finance minister and consult with party functionaries on municipal and mayoral appointments.

Haryana launches Aadhaar-linked digital rural credit system to auto-link loans with digitised land records, reducing fraud.
The framework links agricultural loan sanctions to digitised land records via Aadhaar authentication, enabling automatic fetching of land particulars, automatic recording of loan-related entries and removal of encumbrances upon repayment, initially for Kisan Credit Card loans and later for all agricultural lending, operating with minimal or zero human intervention to provide real-time authenticated data to lenders and automated updates to revenue records.

Scotch whisky: China cuts import tariffs from 10% to 5%, improving market access alongside staged India FTA tariff reductions.
China agreed to halve import tariffs on Scotch whisky from 10% to 5% to improve market access and competitiveness for Scottish exporters. This announcement accompanies the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which stages India's tariffs on Scotch down substantially over ten years, and is presented with government and industry estimates quantifying expected increases in sales and economic contribution for Scotland.

Company scale should determine environmental compensation; larger turnover can justify higher penalties for violations of green norms.
The Supreme Court held that a company's turnover or production scale may properly inform the assessment of environmental compensation because larger operations tend to cause greater resource use, emissions and waste; statutory compliance, including mandatory consents and adherence to stop-work directions, cannot be diluted and continued activity without required consents supports quantification of compensation based on scale.

Ex RCOM president arrested on alleged Rs 40,000 crore money laundering and bank loan fraud involving offshore asset diversion.
Arrest under PMLA for alleged involvement in an alleged Rs 40,000 crore bank loan fraud and associated money laundering, with claims of acquisition, concealment, layering and dissipation of proceeds, attachment of family linked assets, alleged cross border diversion through foreign subsidiaries, a purportedly fraudulent sale of a Manhattan condominium during corporate insolvency, and remittance of sale proceeds via a sham investment arrangement.

Indian rupee hit a record low then recovered as dollar strength and reserve gains shaped capital flow dynamics.
The rupee hit an intraday record low of 92.02 before closing at 91.93 against the US dollar, influenced by a stronger dollar index, geopolitical uncertainty, and weak domestic equities. RBI data showed forex reserves rose to USD 709.413 billion for the week ended January 23, while FIIs were net buyers of equities worth Rs 2,251.37 crore, highlighting interactions between reserve accumulation and capital flows in shaping currency movements.

Protests call for nationwide strike to oppose immigration enforcement after fatal encounters and demand shutdown of ICE.
A nationwide coordinated strike-"no work, no school, no shopping"-was organised to oppose federal immigration enforcement practices and demand accountability for Border Patrol and ICE operations after fatal shootings during enforcement actions; the protests prompted business closures, school cancellations and student walkouts concentrated at city centres, statehouses and churches.

Kevin Warsh nomination sparks volatile market moves, hitting equities, the dollar and precious metals while raising policy expectations.
The nomination of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair produced immediate market volatility: equity futures and major indices fell, the dollar initially weakened then stabilised, and precious metals plunged as investors reassessed safe-haven demand and interest-rate expectations. Warsh is portrayed as a hawk supporting higher rates, contrasting with the President's preference for lower rates. The appointment requires Senate confirmation and would replace the current chair at term expiry, making the nomination both a policy signal on likely monetary direction and a procedurally contingent political event affecting market expectations.

India-EU trade agreement risks corporate capture and flooding Indian markets with subsidised imports harming small farmers.
The agreement eliminates duties on a wide array of EU goods and reduces tariffs on selected agricultural and processed products, enabling subsidised EU imports that will depress domestic agricultural prices and harm smallholder farmers and MSMEs. It preserves EU sanitary and phytosanitary barriers while lowering India's standards, and elevates Intellectual Property protections construed as imposing TRIPS-plus obligations affecting seed rights and generic medicines.

Seamec posts Rs 100 crore net profit as income more than doubles in Q3, driven by domestic and overseas growth
Seamec reported a net profit of Rs 100 crore in the December quarter, reversing a prior-period net loss, as total income rose to Rs 331.44 crore from Rs 139.39 crore. Domestic revenue increased to Rs 237.48 crore from Rs 132.67 crore while overseas revenue rose to Rs 79.57 crore from Rs 16.67 crore, with operations in bulk carriers, offshore fleet services, and EPC infrastructure projects.

NHPC's Subansiri project begins commercial operation of a 250 MW unit today, increasing the project's commissioned capacity.
NHPC declared commercial operation of Unit 3 (250 MW) of the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project from 00:00 hours on 01.02.2026 in an exchange filing. The unit is one of eight 250 MW units comprising the project, constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 27,000 crore near North Lakhimpur on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border; the project is a run-of-river development with water storage on the Subansiri river.

Journalist Don Lemon arrested after church protest; charges unclear amid a First Amendment dispute.
Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents relating to an anti immigration protest that disrupted a church service; charges are unspecified after a magistrate rejected prosecutors' initial charging bid. Lemon and counsel maintain his presence was journalistic and protected by the First Amendment. The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into the service disruption and previously arrested others for alleged civil rights violations, a response contrasted with its decisions not to open civil rights probes into other killings by federal officers.

India-EU free trade pact cited as shifting trade dynamics and raising export displacement concerns for Pakistan.
The India-EU Free Trade Agreement is cited as shifting global trade dynamics and raising concerns that preferential access could displace Pakistani textile and other exports; the U.S. will repatriate three ancient Indian bronze sculptures as part of enforcement against illicit removal, and the U.S. State Department published disclosures of gifts from Indian officials while a short-term spending deal temporarily funds a department amid negotiations over immigration enforcement measures.

Rahul Gandhi's refusal to wear the Assamese gamosa was called a cultural affront amid claims of halted infiltration and development gains.
Amit Shah accused a national political leader of disrespecting the North East by refusing to wear an Assamese gamosa, contrasted that act with central promotion of Assam's culture, and presented a policy narrative that the ruling party has halted infiltration, reclaimed land from alleged infiltrators, signed peace accords, advanced development across sectors, enacted land rights reforms for tea garden workers, and secured tariff-free access for Assam tea under an EU-India trade agreement.

NEET aspirant death case: family alleges police denying sexual assault, forensic traces prompt DNA testing.
Family members allege police are treating the death of a NEET aspirant as suicide despite forensic detection of semen traces on her clothes; a Special Investigation Team is obtaining DNA profiles from those traces to match against arrested persons and other suspects while the family, dissatisfied after meeting the DGP, signal plans to seek judicial intervention alleging a police cover-up.

Ex-RCOM president Punit Garg arrested over alleged Rs 40,000 crore bank loan fraud and related money laundering.
Punit Garg, ex-president and director of RCOM, was arrested on alleged money laundering linked to an over Rs 40,000 crore bank loan fraud; authorities allege he engaged in acquisition, concealment, layering and dissipation of proceeds by diverting funds through foreign subsidiaries and offshore entities, and have attached shares and mutual funds in his wife's name while securing his remand for further investigation.

Sudan seeks Indian private sector investment to rebuild via gold mining, local pharmaceutical production, and infrastructure partnerships.
Sudan seeks strategic partnerships with the Indian private sector to support post conflict reconstruction by prioritising investment in gold mining, local pharmaceutical production and related value addition, alongside cooperation in agriculture, transportation and technology; the government emphasises returning normalcy, its strategic geographic position, and a policy stance encouraging private investment and public private collaboration to rebuild infrastructure, restore trade and promote sustainable, inclusive growth.

Gold and silver plunged after heavy profit-taking and a stronger US dollar prompted a rapid market correction.
Gold and silver plunged sharply as institutional profit-taking and liquidation of long positions after a rapid rally, coupled with overbought technical conditions and a rebound in the US dollar and Treasuries, triggered a steep correction in both domestic and international spot prices.

Haryana health initiatives target eliminating anaemia and cancer with expanded screening, patient aid, and strengthened facilities.
Haryana's health strategy emphasizes eliminating anaemia and cancer through increased cancer screening, monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000 for stage 3 and stage 4 cancer patients, free government bus travel for patients and one attendant, and a 50 bed Atal Cancer Care Centre with advanced equipment. Anaemia reduction efforts have lowered prevalence from 59% to 53% and elevated the state's national ranking. The health budget rose from Rs 2,646 crore to Rs 9,942 crore, while recruitment of medical and ayurvedic officers, expanded MRI coverage, district level service enhancements, food safety laboratories, clean street food hubs and Janaushadhi Kendras in all 22 district civil hospitals support implementation.