BMC elections: Voters must present a voter photo ID or one of 12 approved documents, and accessibility arrangements are in place.
Electors must establish identity at polling by presenting a voter photo ID card or any one of twelve notified photo identity documents, including passport, Aadhaar card, driving licence, PAN card, government photo IDs, bank/post office passbooks with photos, disability certificates with photos, MGNREGA job cards, pension photo documents, official MP/MLA identity cards, freedom fighter identity cards, and Union Labour Ministry photo health insurance cards; polling runs 7:30 am-5:30 pm across 227 wards with counting the next day.

Canada-China trade ties center on tariffs, retaliation, and Beijing's call for Canadian strategic autonomy in trade policy.
The visit focuses on trade tensions and tariff measures, with China urging Canada to adopt strategic autonomy away from U.S. alignment. Canada imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum; China retaliated with tariffs on canola, seafood and pork. Chinese state media frame reengagement as a cautious diversification of markets to reduce U.S. dependence. Negotiations may advance trade dialogue but are unlikely to immediately eliminate existing tariffs, reflecting reciprocal tariff regimes and political constraints.

US announces 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran amid crackdown and possible military options.
The United States is weighing coercive responses to Iran's crackdown, announcing unilateral 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran and considering a range of options up to military action. The administration frames these measures as pressure tied to reported mass arrests, fatalities, and coerced confessions during nationwide protests, while consultations within the national security team continue and specific legal authorities and implementation details remain unspecified.

Minnesota ICE shooting: Justice Dept says no basis for criminal civil rights probe, prompting prosecutor resignations.
The Justice Department concluded there is no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis ICE officer shooting, with the Civil Rights Division not participating while an FBI probe proceeds; officials cited a self defense claim and characterized the driver's conduct as domestic terrorism. Federal restrictions on state access to evidence and assertions of lack of state jurisdiction, together with the resignations of multiple federal prosecutors and Civil Rights Division criminal section lawyers, have raised concerns about evidence access, federal jurisdiction, and prosecutorial independence in use of force investigations.

Tariffs on countries trading with Iran could raise US import prices and strain trade ties.
The administration announced a 25% tariff on imports from countries that do business with Iran to pressure Tehran; it did not clarify whether this levy would be stacked on existing tariffs, whether exemptions would apply, or the precise legal authority to be used, and the measure could raise U.S. import prices and disrupt the fragile U.S.-China trade truce.

Somali immigrants: DHS ends Temporary Protected Status, requiring departure by March 17 and narrowing protection options.
DHS has terminated Temporary Protected Status for certain Somali nationals, requiring affected beneficiaries to depart the United States by March 17 when existing protections expire; the agency concluded country conditions no longer meet statutory criteria, removing TPS-based work authorization and deportation protection while exposing recipients to potential removal and to pursuit of asylum or other relief amid likely litigation.

Russia condemns US threats to strike Iran and warns such action would have disastrous consequences for regional and global security.
Russia condemns reported US threats to strike Iran as categorically unacceptable and warns such strikes would have disastrous consequences for regional and global security; it criticises raised trade tariffs as economic blackmail, attributes Iranian protests to social and economic problems from Western sanctions, accuses external actors of exploiting unrest to destabilise Iran, and advises Russian citizens in Iran to avoid crowded places.

US-Iran tensions: talks suspended, threat of military options, and 25% tariffs on parties trading with Iran.
The executive announced a suspension of diplomatic engagement with Iranian officials pending an end to lethal repression, declared an immediate 25% tariff on parties trading with Iran, and tasked senior national security officials to prepare options ranging from diplomacy and stepped sanctions to calibrated military options, with reported protester deaths and mass detentions cited as predicates for escalation while noting counter threats that affect proportionality and targeting considerations.

India-US ties: ministers discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation and defence, agreeing to stay in touch.
Senior India and US officials held a telephone conversation agreeing to remain in contact to advance cooperation on trade, critical minerals, nuclear energy, defence and energy, set against ongoing bilateral trade negotiations and recent US tariff measures that have strained commercial ties; Indian sources judged a new tariff on trade with Iran to have minimal impact due to low trade volumes.

Iran allows outbound mobile calls while internet and SMS remain blocked amid deadly protests and rising casualty reports.
Iran permitted outbound mobile phone calls but continued to block SMS and internet access to foreign sites, with only limited government approved local connections; activists reported a sharply rising death toll while state media acknowledged numerous martyrs. In response, multiple governments summoned Iranian ambassadors, publicly condemned the use of force and internet shutdowns, and the EU and the UK announced or prepared targeted sanctions and other measures against individuals and sectors implicated in the repression.

US tariff threat on Iran-linked trade likely minimal for India due to negligible trade ties and limited exposure.
A newly announced tariff on Iran-linked trade, described as 25 per cent on any country doing business with Iran, is assessed to pose minimal direct risk to India because bilateral trade with Iran is small (about USD 1.6 billion, ~0.15% of India's total trade) and focused on food and pharmaceuticals; India stopped importing Iranian oil in May 2019. Implementation remained uncertain without formal notification, and India maintains a 10 year Chabahar port terminal agreement with a six month US sanctions exemption beginning October 2024.

Venezuelan families register alleged political prisoners as partial releases prompt guarded hope amid rights crackdown.
Advocates report a surge in families registering relatives as political prisoners following government announcements of releases; Foro Penal has confirmed about 100 new politically motivated cases among roughly 300 recent reports and noted 56 confirmed releases while the government reported 116 unidentified releases. Reports allege incommunicado detention, isolation, restricted lawyer and family access, and use of vague or terrorism-related charges. A broader context of post-election crackdowns and a law enabling criminalisation of human rights groups is said to have deterred earlier reporting but recent releases have spurred renewed registrations.

Airspace curbs at Delhi airport bar non-scheduled flights during set hours on Jan 26 and Jan 29.
Airspace restrictions at Indira Gandhi International Airport prohibit non-scheduled flights from taking off or landing on January 26 between 8:30 am-1:00 pm and 3:00 pm-6:00 pm, and on January 29 between 3:00 pm-7:00 pm during the Beating the Retreat ceremony.

International Kite and Sweet Festival promotes local kite manufacturing to boost employment and tourism revenues.
The state-organised three-day festival showcases international and domestic kite flying and traditional culture while advancing a policy to promote local kite manufacturing to reduce imports, create employment for youth and artisans, and boost tourism revenue.

Prior-sanction requirement in anti-graft law referred for determination; agency contends political appointments fell outside official duties.
A split judicial decision on the constitutional validity of Section 17A-mandating prior sanction before probing government servants-was referred to the Chief Justice for resolution. The investigative agency maintains that certain ministerial appointment decisions did not constitute official duties and has opposed challenges to its FIR while issuing further summonses. Allegations of mass deletions from draft electoral rolls raise procedural fairness concerns, and reported visa revocations and proposed trade tariffs illustrate administrative enforcement tools with cross-border legal effects.

MSME sector: central subsidies of 35% for SC/ST and 25% for others to boost jobs and entrepreneurship.
Central scheme provisions under the Prime Minister Vishwakarma Yojana and related employment-linked programmes set differential capital-support and credit-extension measures for MSMEs, reporting subsidies to about 10.5 lakh units ( Rs 29,000 crore) and loans of Rs 30 lakh crore; subsidy rates are 35% for SC/ST beneficiaries and 25% for general-category beneficiaries. Implementation and outreach include Udyam portal registration (over 7.5 crore entrepreneurs), toolkit distribution (over 1.13 lakh in Rajasthan with another one lakh planned), and administrative directives to accelerate rollout and expand credit access through centre-state coordination.

Fertiliser freight train to Anantnag creates direct rail supply, cutting road dependence and speeding availability for farmers.
A dedicated fertiliser freight train arrival at Anantnag establishes a direct rail delivery of approximately 1,339 tons of PDM fertiliser, reducing road dependence, lowering transportation costs, and ensuring timely availability of soil nutrients during the sowing season; the Jammu Division's commercial and operational measures aim to reconfigure fertiliser logistics and integrate the valley's supply chain with national freight networks.

BJP alleges TMC became 'mafia system' replacing democracy with mobocracy by obstructing voter review and protecting criminals.
The BJP alleges the Trinamool Congress has institutionalised a mafia system replacing democracy with mobocracy by disrupting enforcement raids, obstructing the Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls, mobilising workers to block roads and intimidate officials, and protecting criminal actors. The BJP links these actions to a strategy to obstruct the SIR for partisan advantage and cites the suicide of a block level official-attributed to financial harassment by a local party leader-as an example of the severe consequences of this alleged conduct.

Land-for-jobs scam: CBI says ministerial role excluded from official duties, so prior sanction not required for prosecution.
CBI asserts that appointment decisions in the West Central Zone were not part of the railway minister's official duties and therefore did not require prior sanction under Section 17A to proceed against the minister, while sanction for the concerned general managers was obtained; the agency alleges those appointments were exchanged for land transfers, involved benami transactions, and constituted criminal misconduct and conspiracy.

Summer paddy cultivation faces proposed ban in Terai to conserve groundwater, affecting thousands of farmers.
Proposed administrative restriction would ban summer or off-season paddy cultivation in the Terai between February 1 and April 30, with no permissions to be granted and possible extension across the Terai; the measure aims to conserve groundwater, would affect about 15,000 farmers, and remains unconfirmed by a formal order, creating uncertainty for cultivators.