01 February 2026
China on Monday dismissed the existence of a "median line" in the volatile Taiwan Strait after Taiwan's defence ministry said it detected a record 103 Chinese warplanes flying around the self-ruled island in a 24-hour period.
"First of all, this is not a question about foreign affairs. I suggest you refer to competent Chinese authorities for specifics," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said without commenting on Beijing's latest military provocation.
The number of COVID cases in the U.S. is getting close to the highest point it reached in March 2020, when the pandemic first started. It's also getting near the highest point it reached in late 2021, when the Delta variant was spreading, according to wastewater surveillance and modelling by forecasters.
This week, a leading COVID modeller, Jay Weiland, made a prediction that around 650,000 people in the U.S. get COVID every day. Right now, about 1 in every 51 Americans has COVID.
Amid the ongoing efforts to finalise the name of the convenor of the 'INDIA’ bloc, the Janata Dal (United) has stepped up its pitch for naming Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. JD(U) national president Lalan Singh and Bihar minister Ashok Chaudhary described Nitish Kumar as eligible to be the Prime Minister. Choudhary said that apart from Bihar, people of many other states want to see Nitish Kumar as PM.
Amid a raging row over DMK leaders' remarks on Sanatan Dharma, some Congress leaders on Saturday called for a cautious approach on the matter and the party not getting drawn into the BJP's agenda.
Sources said some leaders, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh, said at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that the party should stay away from such issues and not be drawn into it.
CJI D Y Chandrachud on Friday pulled up can advocate Mathew Nedumpara for complaining to SC Secretary General through a mail that these days the apex court is wasting time hearing Constitution bench matters and are not hearing matters affecting the common man.
Chief Justice told Nedumpara: You seem to be ignorant what Constitution bench matters are all about ..it involves interpretation of the Constitution.
