Breaking News Live: Ukraine drone strikes hit deep into Russia; PM Modi invokes Patel legacy on Unity Day

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot ridiculed the NDA’s Bihar manifesto, claiming its press event lasted “barely 26 seconds” because the ruling alliance “feared journalists’ questions.”

He called the manifesto a “string of lies” and questioned why CM Nitish Kumar didn’t speak.

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said the silence “insults Bihar and Biharis.”

The 2025 Lancet Countdown report warns that human-caused PM2.5 pollution killed more than 1.7 million Indians in 2022, a 38 % rise since 2010.

Executive Director Marina Belen Romanello told PTI that India’s push for renewables must accelerate to cut the death toll.

She urged the government to “acknowledge the evidence” and shift from coal to clean energy, saying denial “only delays action and worsens economic loss.”

Speaking at the Rashtriya Ekta Parade in Kevadia, Gujarat, PM Narendra Modi attacked the Congress, alleging it “adopted a slave mentality from British rule” and even “cut Vande Mataram on religious grounds.”

He linked the decision to the ideological roots of Partition.

Modi paid floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity, calling him the architect of India’s integration and a symbol of “national pride and collective resolve.”

The Indian Army has adopted a tougher, more assertive counter-terrorism doctrine that redraws the country’s red lines. Under what it calls the ‘New Normal’, any terrorist act against India will now be treated as an act of war, demanding a decisive military response rather than a calibrated one.

The new doctrine, unveiled by South Western Army Commander Lt Gen Manjinder Singh during a field interaction in Bikaner, marks one of the most significant shifts in India’s national security posture in years.

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote:

“India pays homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 150th Jayanti. He was the driving force behind India’s integration, thus shaping our nation’s destiny in its formative years.”

He reaffirmed India’s commitment to build “a united, strong and self-reliant nation.”

Russia unleashed a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine, hitting energy grids and homes in nine regions, including Kyiv and Lviv.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “We count on the G7 not to ignore Moscow’s intent to destroy everything.”

At least two people were killed, 17 injured, and major power outages reported.

Ukraine’s Air Force said 623 out of 653 drones were intercepted, one of the largest strikes this year.

Gold prices fell marginally today amid global volatility.

• 24K (99.9%) gold: Rs 12,147/gram
• 22K (91.67%) gold: Rs 11,134/gram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnesses the 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' parade on the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. He administered the oath of unity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today led the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, marking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.

He offered floral tributes and administered the National Unity Pledge, before addressing the nation at the Ekta Diwas Samaroh.

The event features a grand Ekta Parade, showcasing all-women-led contingents from police, CAPF, NCC and mounted units, symbolising strength and national integration.

Afghan security forces have detained an ISIS terrorist named Saeedullah, who admitted to undergoing training in Pakistan’s Quetta before infiltrating Afghanistan through Torkham.

He confessed to using a fake ID and said he was “mentally indoctrinated” during training.

The arrest has reignited regional accusations of Pakistan harbouring extremist groups, with analysts calling it proof of Islamabad’s complicity.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released its 2026 Class 10 & 12 board exam schedule, with tests starting February 17, 2026.

For the first time, Class 10 students will face two board exams annually, the first mandatory, the second optional, in line with NEP 2020.

CBSE says this move allows students to improve scores without repeating a full year.

The US Justice Department is investigating whether BLM Global Network Foundation leaders misused donor funds collected during the 2020 racial-justice protests.

Subpoenas and a search warrant were issued by prosecutors in Los Angeles.

The foundation said it “is not a target” and remains committed to transparency.

The probe, launched under Biden, is gaining renewed attention under Trump, who has long criticised the movement.

At the APEC Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping announced a framework to roll back tariffs and resume trade cooperation.

Tariffs on Chinese goods will fall to 47% from 57%, and Beijing will restart US soybean imports while easing rare-earth export controls.

The deal has eased global market jitters, coming as APEC nations discuss AI, demographics, and supply-chain resilience.

In a major relief for vehicle owners, the Delhi Government has removed the one-year limit on applying for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for deregistered vehicles.

The decision, led by Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, allows older diesel (10 yrs +) and petrol (15 yrs +) vehicles to be re-registered outside Delhi.

The move aims to reduce road congestion and pollution while enabling owners to legally move their vehicles out of the NCR.

The IIT Kanpur team said cloud seeding trials over Delhi have been suspended due to insufficient atmospheric moisture (10–15%).

Delhi’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the next attempt will resume once humidity rises, possibly after 4 PM today, as per IMD forecasts.

“Yesterday’s trial was at 10–15% moisture; we’ll retry when it exceeds that level,” Sirsa told ANI.

Delhi breathed a bit easier this morning as the Air Quality Index (AQI) dropped to 288 (‘poor’) from 373 (‘very poor’) on Thursday, according to the CPCB’s Sameer app. Anand Vihar and Bawana remained in the very poor range, while Burari Crossing and Chandni Chowk recorded poor levels.

Environmental experts say the marginal drop reflects favourable overnight wind movement, but pollution remains well above safe levels.