A look at the biggest headlines now:

  1. Shots fired at Asaduddin Owaisi’s car in Uttar Pradesh, police apprehend one person: The Hyderabad MP asked the Election Commission to order an independent inquiry into the matter.
  2. Indian diplomat to skip Winter Olympics after China honours PLA’s Galwan commander as torchbearer: External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the Chinese action was ‘regrettable’.
  3. Tamil Nadu governor returns Bill passed by Assembly to exempt students from NEET at undergraduate level: Governor RN Ravi said it is against students from rural areas and who are economically poor.
  4. The government wants to alter history, says Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra: She was speaking in Lok Sabha.
  5. Islamic State leader killed in raid by American special forces in Syria: US President Joe Biden says the terrorist chose to ‘blow himself up’ instead of being captured.
  6. Andhra Pradesh government employees oppose pay revision, go on protest march in Vijayawada: Leaders have warned that the agitation will be intensified and that staff will be on an indefinite strike from February 7.
  7. India’s service sector activity hit six-month low in January, survey shows: Input expenses increased due to higher food, fuel, material, staff and transportation costs, the report said.
  8. India is witnessing trailers of future conflicts, says Army chief MM Naravane: He added that border disputes with nuclear-capable neighbours and state-sponsored proxy wars were stretching the resources of the security apparatus.
  9. Meta shares plunge by over 20% after Facebook’s daily active users fall for first time: The company blamed Apple Inc’s privacy features and an increase in competition from rivals like TikTok for the loss.
  10. US to deploy 3,000 troops to Europe, Russia calls it ‘destructive step’ amid ongoing standoff with Ukraine: Russia has amassed over 1 lakh troops near the Ukrainian border, raising fears of an invasion.