Feb 10 News Live | No trust motion: LS Speaker decides to step aside from House

Actor Ranveer Singh receives threat, security stepped up at Mumbai residence

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh received a threat via WhatsApp from unidentified persons, following which security around his residence was tightened, police said on Tuesday. The actor approached the police after receiving a voice note containing the threat, an official said.

Police suspect the involvement of members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, possibly with the intention of extortion. The Mumbai Police crime branch has launched a probe into the matter. The threat comes days after an incident of firing outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence in the city.

Besides Mumbai Police personnel, private armed guards have also been deployed at the Central Mumbai housing society where Singh lives. On Tuesday, the society’s managing committee raised concerns over the presence of armed guards in common areas.

“Since these armed guards are frequently moving with weapons in common areas such as the lobby, gymnasium and children's play area, the society managing committee has expressed serious concern regarding the safety and comfort of other residents,” the committee said in a letter to police.

Recently, five rounds were fired at Rohit Shetty’s Juhu residence, an attack later claimed by absconding Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Shubham Lonkar, with five accused arrested so far.

Om Birla to step aside as Lok Sabha Speaker till no-confidence motion is settled

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday decided to step aside from presiding over the House after the opposition submitted a notice seeking his removal, accusing him of acting in a “blatantly partisan” manner. Lok Sabha officials said the no-confidence motion against the Speaker is likely to be taken up on March 9, when Parliament reconvenes after the recess.

“Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has taken a big decision, upholding the highest standards of morality. He will not sit in the speaker's chair until the no-confidence motion brought by the opposition is settled,” an official said.

Article 96 of the Constitution bars a Speaker or Deputy Speaker from presiding over the House while a resolution for their removal is under consideration. Officials noted that the Speaker has a constitutional right to defend himself in the House if the resolution is discussed.

Birla has directed Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh to examine the opposition’s notice and take action as per rules. At least 118 opposition MPs submitted the notice, alleging that Birla disallowed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and others from speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address and suspended eight MPs.

Congress chief whip K Suresh submitted the notice on behalf of parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK, while TMC MPs did not sign it. In the past, Lok Sabha Speakers G V Mavlankar (1954), Hukam Singh (1966) and Balram Jakhar (1987) had faced similar motions, all of which were defeated.

India climbs to 91st on Corruption Perceptions Index 2025

India climbed five places to rank 91st out of 182 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025 released on Tuesday, with its score improving by one point from last year, Transparency International said.

The Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog noted slow progress in tackling corruption across the Asia-Pacific region, amid rising public anger. “The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that corruption remains a serious threat in every part of the world, although there are limited signs of progress,” the report said, calling on leaders to address abuses of power and the erosion of democratic checks and balances.

The CPI ranks countries on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The report also flagged India as among countries “dangerous for journalists reporting on corruption,” noting that over 90 per cent of journalists killed globally since 2012 were in countries with CPI scores below 50, including India.

Globally, the index showed that while 31 countries have significantly reduced corruption since 2012, most have stagnated or worsened. The global average fell to a record low of 42, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50, leading to poor public services and weakened institutions.

Denmark topped the rankings with 89 points, followed by Finland and Singapore, while South Sudan and Somalia ranked last. The US stood at 29th and the UK at 20th. The report warned of a “concerning picture of long-term decline” in leadership against corruption, even in established democracies, alongside growing restrictions on civic space that allow corruption to flourish.

Unemployment dips to 6.7% in Oct–Dec quarter, shows govt labour survey

India’s unemployment rate among persons aged 15 years and above declined marginally to 6.7 per cent in the October–December 2025 quarter from 6.9 per cent in the previous quarter, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Tuesday. Rural unemployment fell to 4 per cent from 4.4 per cent, while urban unemployment eased to 6.7 per cent, driven mainly by a drop in joblessness among urban males.

The survey showed a rise in employment, with the estimated number of workers increasing to 57.4 crore in October–December from 56.2 crore in July–September 2025. Of these, 40.2 crore were men and 17.2 crore women. The data is based on a nationwide survey of over 5.6 lakh persons and follows a revised methodology introduced in January 2025 to provide both rural and urban estimates.

Self-employment rose slightly in both regions, accounting for 63.2 per cent of rural workers and 39.7 per cent of urban workers. Rural employment continued to be dominated by agriculture, which engaged 58.5 per cent of workers, while the tertiary sector remained the largest employer in urban areas at 61.9 per cent.

The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) improved to 55.8 per cent from 55.1 per cent in the previous quarter, with a notable rise in female participation, particularly in rural areas. The Worker Population Ratio also increased to 53.1 per cent, reflecting higher workforce engagement, especially among women.

BJP hits out at opposition notice against Birla, says time to ‘impeach Rahul, Congress from politics’

The BJP on Tuesday slammed the opposition for submitting a notice to move a resolution for the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying the time has come for India to “impeach Rahul Gandhi and the Congress from politics.” BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Those who have been impeached of their consciousness are the ones who want to impeach all the constitutional posts of India.”

The opposition notice, submitted by Congress chief whip K Suresh on behalf of parties including the Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK, accused the Speaker of disallowing Rahul Gandhi and other leaders from speaking during the Motion of Thanks and of suspending eight MPs. The TMC did not sign the notice. The BJP alleged the Congress and its allies were attacking constitutional institutions “at the behest of US-based billionaire George Soros.”

Reacting sharply, Patra said, “The entire country is watching the behaviour of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party in the House,” alleging attempts to gherao the prime minister’s seat. “The time has come for India to impeach Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party from politics,” he added.

The BJP also criticised opposition protests in the Lok Sabha. Another spokesperson, Sudhanshu Trivedi, said the scenes were “reminiscent of Shaheen Bagh,” accusing the Congress of trying to turn the House into a protest site. The BJP further hit out at the TMC over calls to impeach the Chief Election Commissioner, calling it a “joke.”

T20 World Cup: Allen and Seifert set world record as New Zealand thrash UAE

TN CM Stalin honours 500 elderly couples under HR&CE scheme

Assam final voter list out; 2.43 lakh names deleted after revision

Telangana municipal polls: BJP candidate dies by suicide, party blames Congress

A BJP candidate contesting the Telangana municipal elections allegedly died by suicide in Narayanpet district on Tuesday, triggering a political row between the BJP and the ruling Congress. E Mahadevappa (45), a BJP candidate for the councillor post in Makthal municipality, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his residence around 4.30 am, police said.

The BJP alleged that “harassment and intimidation” by Congress leaders drove Mahadevappa to take the extreme step. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy raised the issue in Parliament, claiming such incidents were occurring in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s native district. The Telangana BJP announced an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh for the family.

State BJP president N Ramchander Rao said, “Mahadevappa, a young Scheduled Tribe leader and BJP Ward-6 candidate, was subjected to sustained harassment and mafia-style intimidation by Congress leaders and their goons which drove the young Tribal leader to suicide.” BJP workers later staged a protest at the DGP office, with several taken into preventive custody.

Police said no suicide note was found and there is no prima facie evidence of abetment. DGP B Shivadhar Reddy said a case has been registered and all angles are being investigated. The Congress rejected the allegations, accusing the BJP of politicising the death. Officials said polling in the concerned ward has been postponed.

AIADMK targets DMK over snake, insect bite deaths at Tamil Nadu government schools

The AIADMK on Tuesday slammed the ruling DMK after two students died in separate incidents involving snake and insect bites at government schools in Tamil Nadu. A 17-year-old Class 11 student died after being bitten by a common krait on the premises of a government higher secondary school in Harithuvaramangalam, while a three-year-old girl reportedly died following a venomous insect bite at a government primary school in Namakkal district.

Police said the teenage boy had been undergoing treatment since the snake bite last week but died on February 8 after failing to respond. After a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family. The second incident occurred on February 9, further fuelling political criticism over safety conditions in state-run schools.

Citing the deaths, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the DMK government of neglecting basic infrastructure in government schools. Expressing condolences, he said students were losing their lives due to the “miserable condition” of schools and urged the state to provide compensation to the affected families.

Palaniswami also criticised the school education department after a video surfaced showing students cleaning an overhead water tank at a government school in Rishivandiyam, Kallakurichi district. He alleged that the department had failed to appoint dedicated staff and accused the government of endangering student safety by engaging children in hazardous work.