Breaking News, January 24 | HIGHLIGHTS

 Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants on Wednesday near the main hospital in Gaza's second-largest city, where medics said hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people were trapped by the fighting.

 Taking a selfie proved fatal for a man as he fell into a deep gorge while clicking his own photo in Mandu, a famous tourist town in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, on Wednesday, police said.
The incident occurred at Kakda Kho, a deep gorge that attracts tourists in Mandu, some 35km from the district headquarters, an official said.

A video showing two policewomen, riding a two-wheeler, dragging a woman protester by hair went viral on Wednesday evening, prompting a strong reaction from opposition BRS MLC K Kavitha who sought the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission into the matter.
Police said as per their information, the incident happened at the agricultural university at Rajendranagar here today during a protest.

The public sector Indian Bank on Wednesday reported a 52 per cent jump in net profit at Rs 2,119 crore in the December quarter, on the back of improvements in core income and a reduction in bad loans. The Chennai-based lender had earned a net profit of Rs 1,396 crore in the same quarter a year ago. The operating profit of the bank was almost flat at Rs 4,097 crore as against Rs 4,061 crore in December 2022.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday attacked the BJP-led Centre for not conferring Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. Addressing a news conference here, Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut called the Centre’s decision to honour former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur with the award posthumously a political move.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday said it took 542 enforcement actions, including against airlines and personnel, last year, which was 77 per cent higher than similar actions taken in 2022.

The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to establish a special commercial division in the Directorate of Industries and Commerce to give prominence to the trade and commerce sector in the state. A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that a decision was also taken to set up a special wing in the Industries Department in the secretariat, the administrative hub here, to address various commercial matters. 

A day after the Centre decided to confer Bharat Ratna on former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, the native village of the socialist icon erupted in joy on Wednesday with a large number of people gathering outside his ancestral house and celebrating his 100th birth anniversary. Villagers of the ‘Karpoori gram’ in Samastipur district met family members of Thakur and his elder son and JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Ramnath Thakur.

 Market regulator Sebi does not expect a large number of foreign portfolio investors to be impacted by the new beneficial ownership disclosure norms, according to sources. The norms are set to come into effect from February 1 and against this backdrop, the equity market has witnessed significant volatility, with the benchmark Sensex crashing over 1,000 points on Tuesday after shedding early intraday gains.

A fast train collided with a truck in eastern Czech Republic on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least 10 people, officials said. The Czech Railways said the driver of the train was killed. Police said their preliminary information shows dozens could be injured while the Czech Railways said about 15 people suffered injuries.

Two persons have been arrested by the police following an attack on a procession in Maharashtra's Thane district earlier this week, officials said on Wednesday. The incident occurred in Padgha area on Monday during the consecration of Lord Ram's idol at the Ayodhya temple. This is the third incident reported in this district.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether it intends to order a probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into the affairs of the software firm of Veena T, the daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the Kochi-based company to which it was offering services.

Work in government offices in Kerala was partially disrupted on Wednesday due to a strike initiated by opposition employees' unions, highlighting a range of demands. Officials said a section of government employees and teachers, associated with opposition Congress-UDF unions, abstained from work in the state as part of a symbolic strike.

 A group of persons allegedly attacked members of a procession taken out in Maharashtra's Thane district on the day of consecration of Lord Ram's idol in the Ayodhya temple following which police have arrested two persons, an official said on Wednesday. Two-three persons were injured in the incident which took place at around 8.30 pm on Monday when the victims were heading on four motorcycles as well as on foot as part of the procession in Borivali village of Padgha area here, the official from Padgha police station said.

Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has challenged her ex-boss and former president Donald Trump on to a debate stage and vowed to stay in the race after losing the party's New Hampshire primary. Haley, 52, has attacked Trump, 77, and questioned his "mental competency". “The other day, Donald Trump accused me of not providing security at the Capitol on January 6th. I’ve long called for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded girls as change-makers, and said his government has been making every effort to build a nation where they have an opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. He made the remarks in a post on X on the National Girl Child Day, which is observed to promote awareness about their rights and the importance of female education and health. Modi said, "On National Girl Child Day, we salute the indomitable spirit and accomplishments of the Girl Child. We also recognise the rich potential of every girl child in all sectors."

Speaking to the media, RAF Deputy Commandant Arun Kumar Tiwari said the forces would ensure that the devotees do not face any difficulty. "Around 1000 jawans have been deployed inside and outside the Temple. This deployment will continue for the next few days," he added. 

On the second day after the Pran Pratishtha, devotees were seen gathering in huge numbers at Rampath to have darshan of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.