Breaking news highlights: UK to toughen sanctions on Russia over Ukraine crisis

Breaking news updates January 31, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour.

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• 31 Jan 2022, 11:27:35 PM IST

  UK to toughen sanctions on Russia over Ukraine crisis

  UK foreign minister Liz Truss said on Monday that her government will impose tougher sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis. 

• 31 Jan 2022, 10:53:12 PM IST

  Centre extends work from home for 50% non-senior employees till Feb 15

  The Union personnel ministry announced continuation of 'work from home' for 50 per cent of central government employees below the level of Under Secretary till Feb 15.

• 31 Jan 2022, 10:27:27 PM IST

  India in touch with concerned parties: TS Tirumurti at Security Council meet on Ukraine crisis

  "India’s interest is in finding a solution that can provide for immediate de-escalation of tensions. We've also been in touch with concerned parties," says Permanent Representative of India to UN TS Tirumurti at the Security Council meet on ‘threats to international peace & security (Ukraine)’.

• 31 Jan 2022, 09:45:31 PM IST

  Karnataka's Hoysala temples shortlisted for India's entry as World Heritage site this year

  Hoysala Temples of Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura in Karnataka finalized as India’s nomination for consideration as World Heritage for the year 2022-2023.

• 31 Jan 2022, 08:09:30 PM IST

  Chandigarh allows reopening of schools, colleges from Feb 1

  Higher educational institutions, that is schools for classes 10 to 12, along with colleges, universities, training institutes, ITIs and public libraries have been permitted to reopen in Chandigarh from February 1.

  All staff and students above the age of 18 years should be fully vaccinated to attend their respective institutions. Children aged between 15-18 years should have at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

• 31 Jan 2022, 07:21:14 PM IST

  Mumbai reports 960 new Covid-19 cases, 11 deaths in last 24 hours

  Mumbai reports 960 new Covid-19 cases, 1,837 recoveries, and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active cases stand at 9,900.

• 31 Jan 2022, 07:01:36 PM IST

  West Bengal relaxes Covid-19 curbs: What's allowed, what's not allowed

  Night curfew to be in force between 11pm-5am instead of 10pm-5am. Restaurants, bars, and cinema halls to operate at 75% capacity. Parks & tourist places to reopen with COVID safety protocols, announced West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

  Local trains and Metro presently running with 50% capacity will run with 75% capacity from tomorrow.

• 31 Jan 2022, 06:15:57 PM IST

  Pegasus row: Opposition demands discussion, Pralhad Joshi says ‘only Budget related issues in 1st part of Parl session’

  “Many parties have raised the Pegasus issue. We have made it clear that the Supreme Court-appointed committee is investigating the matter and that issues related to the Budget should be raised (in the first part of the Budget session),” says Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi.

• 31 Jan 2022, 05:44:40 PM IST

  Andhra Pradesh raises retirement age of govt employees from 60 to 62 years

  Andhra Pradesh Govt promulgates ordinance to raise the retirement age of State Govt employees from 60 years to 62 years from January 1, 2022.

• 31 Jan 2022, 04:40:18 PM IST

  Services sector worst-hit, tourism suffers by 8.5% below pre-pandemic levels: Sanyal

  "The services sector was the most affected by the lockdowns. It is just a little short of where it was pre-pandemic. The segment (of services sector) which includes tourism, travel, and hotels is still 8.5% below where it was before the pandemic. It is a sector that is still impacted," he says.

• 31 Jan 2022, 04:38:06 PM IST

  Agriculture sector grows 4.1% above pre-pandemic levels, says Sanjeev Sanyal

  Agriculture sector, not surprisingly, was least affected by lockdowns of various kinds. This sector grew in even 2020-21 & again in 2021-22. Industrial sector did go through a contraction & now it is about 4.1% above pre-pandemic levels, says Sanyal.

• 31 Jan 2022, 04:36:22 PM IST

  Inflation caused by lockdown, CPI now back into tolerance band at 5.6%: Sanjeev Sanyal

  “The inflation during the year 2021 reflected the disruptions caused by the lockdown & supply chain disruptions. Since things opened up this year, Consumer Price Index (CPI) came back into the tolerance band & remain so at 5.6%,” Sanyal says.

• 31 Jan 2022, 04:33:31 PM IST

  Revival in activities to pre-pandemic levels, says principal economic advisor Sanjeev Sanyal

  The economy is estimated to have grown by 9.2% this year after a contraction of 7.3% in the previous year, says principal economic advisor Sanjeev Sanyal.

  “There has been a revival in economic activities to pre-pandemic levels in the year 2021-22. Even though the health cost of the second COVID wave was much more severe, the economic cost of it was much milder,” he says.

• 31 Jan 2022, 03:57:46 PM IST

  All-party meeting called by Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi underway

  An all-party meeting called by Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi virtually is underway. 

• 31 Jan 2022, 03:37:21 PM IST

  Election Commission extends ban on physical rallies still February 11

  Election Commission has extended the ban on physical rallies till February 11. The ECI, however, permitted public meetings with a maximum capacity of 1,000 people and indoor meetings to have a maximum capacity of 500 people. Up to twenty people are allowed for door-to-door campaigns.

• 31 Jan 2022, 03:01:42 PM IST

  Budget 2022: Rajya Sabha adjourned till Feb 1

  Rajya Sabha adjourned till Febuary 1, 2022.

  "The sitting of the Rajya Sabha will commence after one hour of the conclusion of the presentation of the Union Budget in Lok Sabha on Feb 1," Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu says

• 31 Jan 2022, 02:39:14 PM IST

  Budget 2022: Lok Sabha chair Om Birla calls for all-party meeting today

  An all-party meeting was called by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today a day ahead of the Union Budget session.

• 31 Jan 2022, 02:37:16 PM IST

  Goons desperate to come to power in UP: PM Modi

  "The BJP Govt in Uttar Pradesh has taught the meaning of the law to the mafias and goons who used to consider themselves above the law. That is why these goons are desperate to come to power anyhow," says Modi, sounding the poll bugle.

  “We are working hard to bring about a change in Uttar Pradesh. On the other hand, they are looking for an opportunity to seek revenge from you (public). Seeking revenge is their ideology,” he adds.

• 31 Jan 2022, 02:33:31 PM IST

  ‘When UP was burning in riots, past govts celebrated,’ says PM Modi in virtual rally

  “Five years ago, dabangg (strongmen) & dangai (rioters) used to run the show in UP. Their words were treated as Govt orders. People of western UP can never forget that when this region was burning in riots, the then Govt was celebrating,” says Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a virtual rally in Uttar Pradesh.

  “The illegal occupation of the homes, land and shops of the poor, Dalits, backwards and the downtrodden was a sign of socialism five years ago,” the PM said.

• 31 Jan 2022, 01:58:35 PM IST

  BJP to contest Tamil Nadu urban local body polls alone: State chief K Annamala

  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest the upcoming urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu alone, announces party's state chief K Annamala.

• 31 Jan 2022, 01:10:42 PM IST

  SC grants protection to Bikram Singh Majithia from arrest till Feb 23

  The Supreme Court on Monday granted protection to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia from arrest till Feb 23 in a drugs case.

• 31 Jan 2022, 12:22:02 PM IST

  Madras HC orders transfer of Thanjavur student death case to CBI

  The Madras high court on Monday ordered the transfer of Thanjavur student death case to the CBI, reports news agency ANI.

• 31 Jan 2022, 10:26:52 AM IST

  Army chief Naravane visits South Western army command headquarters in Jaipur

  Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane is on a visit to South Western army command headquarters in Jaipur where he will be given an update on operational preparedness and briefed by the commanders, reports news agency ANI.

• 31 Jan 2022, 08:58:53 AM IST

  India reports 2,09,918 new Covid-19 cases, 959 deaths in last 24 hours

  India on Monday reported 2,09,918 new Covid-19 cases and 959 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the positivity rate to 15.77 per cent. Read more

• 31 Jan 2022, 08:18:56 AM IST

  Budget session of Parliament begins today

  The Budget session of Parliament will begin with the address by President Ram Nath Kovind to both Houses in the Central Hall on Monday. Read more

• 31 Jan 2022, 06:45:40 AM IST

  Assembly elections 2022: Poll panel to take a call on physical rallies ban today

  As the country battles with the third wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Election Commission of India (ECI) will meet on Monday to assess the pandemic situation and decide whether the ban on conducting the physical rallies will continue in the five states headed for polls, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Read more

• 31 Jan 2022, 06:39:08 AM IST

  North Korea says tested most powerful missile since 2017

  North Korea has confirmed it had tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), news agency Reuters reported citing the state media. This came as the US and South Korean officials warned Sunday's launch could lead to resumed testing of long-range weapons and nuclear bombs.