TODAY NEWS ON February 05, 2026

Dramatic protests in Lok Sabha prevent PM’s reply to the motion of thanks

The Lok Sabha had to be adjourned for the day amid high drama on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) as women MPs from Opposition parties walked across the aisle and held up banners in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s front row seat ahead of his customary reply to the Presidential Address. They were protesting a BJP MP’s allegations against former Congress PMs.

Agricultural, dairy sectors protected in India-U.S. trade deal: Piyush Goyal in Parliament

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) told Parliament that the government had been successful in protecting the Indian agricultural and dairy sectors in the India-U.S. trade deal. Making a statement in both Houses, Mr. Goyal said the deal would help make India self-reliant and added that the labour-intensive sectors would receive a major boost in exports following the reduction in tariffs to 18%, which were earlier pegged at 50%.

Every single genuine person must remain on electoral roll, CJI tells West Bengal CM in Supreme Court

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, heading a three-judge Supreme Court Bench, assured West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, standing in the front row of his crowded courtroom on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), that the Election Commission of India cannot “run away” from its Constitutional commitment to ensure that “every single genuine citizen” is included in the electoral roll during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Yumnam Khemchand Singh takes oath as Chief Minister of Manipur

The installation of a Bharatiya Janata Party‑led National Democratic Alliance government, with a Meitei leader at the helm, brought an end to nearly a year of President’s Rule in Manipur on Wednesday (February 4, 2026). Around 6 p.m., Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla administered the oath of office to former Assembly Speaker and martial artist Yumnam Khemchand Singh as the State’s second Chief Minister since the 2022 election. The first, Nongthombam Biren Singh, resigned on February 9, 2025, as a casualty of the ethnic conflict between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities that broke out on May 3, 2023.

Supreme Court asks if Centre can reconsider Sonam Wangchuk’s detention on health grounds

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) asked whether the Centre could rethink the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk considering his health condition, while pointing out that he has been in confinement since September 2025, for nearly five months now. A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale observed that Mr. Wangchuk’s health report was not good.

Ladakh leaders press for Statehood; talks with Home Ministry remain inconclusive

The talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ladakh civil society leaders, being held after more than three months, remained inconclusive, said Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, co-convener of the Leh Apex Body (LAB). The October 22, 2025, draft proposal submitted by the group regarding Statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the sixth schedule of the Constitution, thus giving it a tribal status, was discussed at the meeting.

Three minors end life after being denied access to mobile phone

Three minor sisters ended their lives early on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) after jumping off the balcony of a ninth-floor flat in Ghaziabad, as their parents had restricted mobile phone usage, the police said. The sisters, Nishika, 16, Prachi, 14 and Pakhi, 12, were found dead on the pavement near a community park of the gated community, a little after 2 a.m. The incident came to light as residents of the apartments woke up to cries of their parents.

Denotified tribes seek constitutional recognition, separate Census entry

Denotified tribes, nomadic tribes, and semi-nomadic tribes across the country are coming together to push for a “separate column” for themselves in the 2027 Census. Their demand is for constitutional recognition of the Denotified Tribes in a Schedule, on par with the existing classifications of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SCs/STs) and other backward classes (OBCs).

U.K. asks Air India to explain Boeing Dreamliner fuel-switch incident

Britain’s aviation authority has asked ‌Air India to explain how a Boeing Dreamliner passenger jet ​which was grounded on arrival in India for safety checks took off from London on Sunday (February 1, 2026) with a possibly faulty fuel switch, a letter shows. The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in a letter to the airline dated Tuesday (February 3, 2026), warned of the possibility of regulatory action against Air India and its Boeing 787 fleet if the airline does not submit a complete response ​within a week.

Bharat Taxi cooperative cab service to be launched by Home Minister

Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah will launch India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform, Bharat Taxi, on Thursday (February 5, 2026). Bharat Taxi has been conceptualised as a transformative initiative in the mobility sector, placing drivers —referred to as sarathis (charioteers) — at the centre of ownership, operations, and value creation, thereby freeing them from exploitative aggregator-based models, a statement by the Cooperation Ministry said.

Andre Beteille: A sociologist with rigorous scholarship who laid emphasis on importance of fieldwork

Renowned Indian sociologist and writer Andre Beteille died due to age-related illness at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday. He was 91. The passing away of Professor Beteille, one of India’s foremost scholars, brought forth a rush of tributes from colleagues and former students, amid a realisation that it also marks the passing of a particular way of scholarship, and of a practitioner of teaching as a vocation.

Iran, U.S. to hold nuclear talks in Oman on February 6

Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place on Friday (February 6, 2026) in Oman, the Iranian Foreign Minister said, as tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month. The announcement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) came after hours of indications that the anticipated talks were faltering over changes in the format and content of the talks.

Maduro ally Saab, Venezuelan businessman once held in U.S., arrested again

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan former businessman ‍once held in the U.S., was arrested in Venezuela on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) ​as part of a joint operation between U.S. and ‌Venezuelan authorities, a U.S. law enforcement official said. Saab, a ​close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, was cinematically detained in Cape Verde in 2020 and held in the U.S. for more than three years on bribery charges, before being granted clemency in exchange for the release of Americans held in Venezuela.

Two terrorists killed in Udhampur operation: Army

Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an anti-terror operation in Jammu’s Udhampur on Wednesday (February 4, 2026). The encounter had started around 4 p.m. on Tuesday (February 3, 2026). “Contact with terrorists was established yesterday (Tuesday) and since then, terrorists were prevented from breaking contact. Following a calibrated and coordinated response, two terrorists have been successfully neutralised,” an Army spokesperson said. The operation, named Kiya, “concluded successfully”. However, the area remains under surveillance,” the spokesperson added.

Anil Ambani-ADAG alleged bank fraud case: Supreme Court orders SIT probe; criticises delay by ED, CBI

The Supreme Court orders the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Anil Ambani/Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) alleged bank fraud ‘scam’ case. The Supreme Court said, “The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) must look into the nexus and conspiracy between the bank officials and the accused,” adding that the CBI has already delayed looking into the allegations, and no further delay would be tolerated. Further, the Supreme Court said the investigation should be held in a fair and dispassionate manner. Directing the CBI to submit a status report within four weeks, the SC said it would monitor the case.

IndiGo to adjust long-haul flight schedule; to suspend Copenhagen services from February 17

IndiGo on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) announced adjusting its long-haul flight schedule, including suspending services to Copenhagen from February 17, due to external operational constraints. Besides, the airline will reduce flights on Delhi–London Heathrow and Delhi–Manchester routes. In a statement, the airline said its wide-body operation has faced external operational constraints such as continuously changing airspace constraints due to geopolitical circumstances, congestion at airports both in India and abroad.

Ukraine, Russia begin second round of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began a second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on ‌Wednesday (February 4, 2026), seeking to advance efforts to end Europe’s biggest conflict since World War Two. The two-day trilateral meetings come after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had exploited a U.S.-backed energy truce last week to stockpile munitions, attacking Ukraine with a record number of ballistic missiles on Tuesday (February 3, 2026). “Another round of negotiations has begun in Abu Dhabi. The negotiation process started in a trilateral format — Ukraine, the United States, and Russia,” Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s top negotiator, said on the Telegram app.

U.S. and Iran to hold nuclear talks in Oman on February 6 amid heightened tensions: diplomat

Nuclear talks between the United States and ​Iran are expected to take place in Oman on Friday (February 6, 2026), a regional diplomat said, with a ‌possible confrontation looming as U.S. President Donald Trump builds up forces in the Middle East. Mr. Trump ​has warned that “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic in a standoff that has led to mutual threats of air strikes and stirred fears of escalation into a wider war.

Israeli strikes kill 18 in Gaza, patient crossings at Rafah halted, Palestinian officials say

Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 18 people, including four ​children, in Gaza on Wednesday (February 4, 2026), and Israel halted the passage of patients through ‌the Rafah border crossing, Palestinian officials said. The Israeli military said ​tanks had fired on Gaza and airstrikes had been launched after a gunman shot at Israeli soldiers and seriously injured a reservist. The strikes targeted Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Younis.

Thousands of troops hit streets in Nepal ahead of polls

Nepal deployed thousands of troops around the country on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) to boost security ahead of the first elections since last year’s deadly protests toppled the previous government. In total, 300,000 security personnel and temporary election police were being sent out in the lead up to the March 5 vote, an increase from previous polls. “We have deployed more security personnel in this election to make security arrangements more effective and to ensure the upcoming election is fair and secure,” Ananda Kafle, the spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs, told AFP.

X hits back after France summons Elon Musk, raids offices in deepfake probe

French prosecutors searched the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s X as part of an investigation into alleged political interference and sexual deepfakes and summoned Musk in what the social media giant slammed as “politicised” raids. The search came as both Britain and the European Union have opened investigations into the creation of sexualised deepfakes of women and children by Musk's AI chatbot Grok.