February 10: Top news at 1 pm    

NDA ally Apna Dal fields 4 candidates on BJP seats in UP

Miffed over its alliance partner BJP deciding to contest on seats allotted to it, the Anupriya Patel led Apna Dal (Sonelal) has fielded candidates on four assembly seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh against the saffron party. In spite of contesting the Uttar Pradesh polls in alliance, the junior ally is contesting from Rohaniya, Chunar, Sevapuri and Marihan assembly seats in Varanasi and Mirzapur districts. The party led by Patel, who is a Union minister in the NDA government at the Centre, had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with BJP.

Another NDA ally Shiv Sena targets PM Modi, hails development works of Congress since Independence

The Shiv Sena today hailed the development works done by successive Congress governments at the Centre and again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on demonetisation. But for the work done by the Congress governments, Modi would be governing a backward nation in Africa, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. "Modi is not ready to accept the chaos demonetisation has caused. His personal advertisement machinery tries to hide every wrong policy of his government and leaves no stone unturned to attack the Congress. Modi should come out of this negative perception now," it said. "It transformed the nation, which could not even produce a needle during Independence, to one that is at the forefront of economic and industrial development. The previous rulers have made India what it is today," it said.

Trump agrees to honour 'One China' policy in call with Xi

In a U-turn, US President Donald Trump today agreed to honour the decades-old 'One China' policy during his first telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Xi appreciated Trump's affirmation of One China policy, Chinese state media reported. Trump, after his election, had stated that the 'One-China' policy on Taiwan is up for negotiation and that he is not fully committed to it. China had hit back saying 'One-China' policy which stipulates that Taiwan is part of Chinese mainland is "non-negotiable". China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and insists all countries having bilateral ties with it to abide by the 'One-China' policy. Trump has also often accused Beijing of unfair trade practices, currency manipulation and military buildup in the South China Sea.

SC declines urgent hearing on PIL against Sasikala

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to give an urgent hearing on a PIL seeking to restrain AIADMK leader V K Sasikala from being sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister till it decides the disproportionate assets case against her. "Sorry. Declined," a bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and justices NV Ramana and DY Chandrachud said when the lawyer sought urgent listing and hearing. Advocate GS Mani, who is representing Chennai-resident Senthil Kumar, General Secretary of NGO Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, pleaded that the matter be heard on urgent basis. The PIL was filed on February 6 seeking a stay on the swearing-in of Sasikala as Tamil Nadu chief minister, after an apex court bench had on February 6 said that it would pronounce within a week the judgement in a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case in which Sasikala and late CM J Jayalalithaa were accused. Kumar has sought a stay on Sasikala's swearing-in contending that if she was convicted and forced to resign, there could be a "possibility of riots erupting all over Tamil Nadu".

Delhi High Court to hear plea of BSF jawan's wife to trace him
The Delhi High Court agreed to give an urgent hearing on a habeas corpus plea filed by the wife of a BSF jawan, who had posted video on social media alleging that poor quality food was being served to soldiers. Tej Bahadur Yadav’s wife claimed that her husband is untraceable and the family has been unable to contact him for last three days. The plea for urgent hearing was mentioned before a bench of justices B D Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar, who listed it for hearing. Advocate Manish Tewari, appearing for the jawan's wife, submitted that the soldier whereabouts are not known for last few days, so the court should look into the issue. Accepting the urgency, the bench said, "All right it (the petition) will be heard today".