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Allama Masoodur Rehman Usmani, a prominent anti-India cleric, was assassinated in Islamabad, Pakistan. The attack occurred in broad daylight on the outskirts of the capital, in the Ghauri Town neighborhood, on Friday.

According to Islamabad police, Usmani was targeted by two unidentified gunmen who fatally shot him and injured his driver before fleeing the scene. The sudden and violent nature of the attack has stirred concerns, as such incidents are rare in this part of Pakistan.

All three branches of the government unanimously abrogated Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, thereby fulfilling the dream of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Thursday.

The vice president was addressing a function after inaugurating a biotech startup expo in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at developing the district along the International Border with Pakistan as a hub for budding entrepreneurs.

The attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a raid on the TMC leader's premises has invoked strong reactions from the BJP. Union Minister Giriraj Singh strongly criticised the TMC as he drew parallels between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government in the state and that of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, highlighting the apparent absence of democracy.

"There is nothing like democracy in West Bengal. There seems to be a Kim Jong-Un government there. Adhir Ranjan has said that it would not be new even if there was a murder. This is Mamata Banerjee's democracy," Giriraj Singh told news agency ANI.

Chief minister M K Stalin on Friday sought to know what the Union government had done for the people of Tamil Nadu.

The chief minister posted on X a ten-minute footage of finance minister Thangam Thennarsu, brushing off the claims of Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the central funds released to Tamil Nadu. The chief minister said his Dravidian model of governance remained supportive to the people even during the crisis period by extending a Pongal cash gift of Rs 1,000 with a gift hamper.

“Since assuming charge, Dravida-model government has been continuously implementing various projects with the state’s own funds,” he said, listing out schemes like free bus ride, said to have been helping women save Rs 1,000 a month.

Narendra Modi Lakshadweep trip: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, a cluster of 36 atolls and coral reefs in the Laccadive Sea, at the start of 2024, led to a surge in people's interest in this archipelago. That could have ramifications not just for the domestic tourism industry, but also for India's dynamics with China-leaning Maldives.

During his visit on January 2 and 3, PM Modi inaugurated the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection, alongside several developmental projects. Beyond the official engagements, images of the Prime Minister, whether snorkelling, walking on white sands, or resting on virgin beaches, have gone viral. They sparked a surge in Google searches related to Lakshadweep travel.