Today’s news LIVE: Jan 25 | India a messenger of peace: Prez Murmu

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday (January 24) spoke to his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Touhid Hossain and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to build closer ties in various fields, according to a statement by the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Office said the two leaders, in a telephonic conversation, reviewed Pakistan-Bangladesh bilateral relations, including trade and economic cooperation, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration across multiple sectors.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the current regional and international developments and underscored the importance of sustained engagement to advance shared interests and promote regional peace and prosperity, the statement added.

West Bengal minister Shashi Panja on Sunday (January 25) said she has received a notice under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and alleged that the exercise was being carried out "in haste and without adequate preparation".

Panja, the minister for women and child development, also claimed that her name was figured on the voters' list in 2002 when the last SIR was conducted in the state, and asserted that the notice was served as she was marked "unmapped". "My name was on the 2002 voter list. I have submitted all documents during the SIR process, yet my name is showing as unmapped. This is certainly not my fault. This (the notice) was my reward," she said.

TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya also said that he and his family members had received the SIR notices.

"There were no shortcomings in the details we had submitted, and our names had also featured in the 2002 list," he claimed.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan on Sunday (January 25) said he has written to the Chief Electoral Officer expressing concern over a large number of people being included in the voters’ lists.

Speaking to reporters, he said issues have emerged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) related to voter inclusion.

Govindan said the list of applicants seeking inclusion in the voters’ list has not been published on the website and copies have not been provided to political parties.

"As per Election Commission details, around 26 lakh people have been included in the voters’ list. It is doubtful how such a large number of voters are being added when their details cannot be verified," he said.

Fifteen illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have been pushed back from Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He said the state government will continue to act tough against infiltrators. "Assam doesn't do late-night parties, only late-night returns. That's exactly what happened as 15 illegal Bangladeshis were smoothly escorted back to Bangladesh by our alert forces," Sarma said in an X post on Saturday night.

"Remember, you come at your own terms and leave on our terms. Borders alert. Law on duty. Great job," he added.

The chief minister, however, did not specify from which district the infiltrators were sent back.

The state government has been cracking the whip on illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, pushing back infiltrators through its borders with the neighbouring nation.

Federal officers in the US shot dead a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Minneapolis Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting. He called on President Donald Trump to end the crackdown in his state.

The man, later identified as Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37, reportedly had a firearm with two magazines. The shooting came amid widespread daily protests in the Twin Cities since the January 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good. It later turned out that he was a lawful gun owner with a permit.

His family members said Pretti was an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Administration who cared deeply about people and was upset by President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in his city.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday (January 24) underlined the importance of ‘unity in diversity’ during a closed-door interaction with tribal groups in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Interacting with them, Bhagwat said Hinduism is not the name of a particular worship system, but a way of living together.

"India’s identity is rooted in unity in diversity. While methods of worship may differ, the core civilisational values remain the same. After decades of experience and reflection, it has become clear that society must work collectively, because despite all diversities, we are essentially one," an RSS statement quoted Bhagwat as saying.

He explained that the term ‘Hindu’ emerged later, but its essence lies in jal (water), jungle (forests), and kheti (agriculture).

The Vedas and Upanishadic philosophy originated from this relationship with nature, and the Atharvaveda reflects ideas of respect for diversity – where Mother Earth nourishes all beings and all languages are honoured, the RSS chief said.

Representatives from various tribal groups raised several issues including religious conversion, alleged flaws in the PESA rules, delisting and cultural identity during 'Janjatiya Samvad' event.

Addressing tribal issues, Bhagwat said the problems of Adivasi society are problems of the entire nation.

"Sarna is a form of worship and not a separate religion, cautioning that division would lead to fragmentation. Hinduism is not the name of a particular worship system but a way of living together," Bhagwat said, according to the statement.

He said Vanvasi communities serve as trustees of forests and land, and their consent, participation, and accountability are essential.

"Tribal populations differ across states, but their challenges are interconnected," Bhagwat said.

He assured that tribal concerns would be communicated to the prime minister, and efforts would be made to find solutions.

Heavy snow and rainfall over the past three days have killed more than 60 people and injured over 100 across Afghanistan, the country's disaster management authority said Saturday (January 24), as authorities in the impoverished country struggled to open roads and gain access to cut-off villages.

National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Yousaf Hammad said 61 people had died and 110 were injured, while 458 homes had been completely or partially destroyed and hundreds of animals had died in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The numbers, he said, could change as authorities gathered more information from the provinces.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Saturday (January 24) said it accepted the ICC’s decision to replace its national team with Scotland in next month’s T20 World Cup, saying there is nothing more they could do now.

The ICC on Saturday confirmed that Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the next month’s T20 World Cup to be jointly held in India and Sri Lanka.

The ICC was forced to make the late change after Bangladesh remained fixated on their stance that it was unsafe for their players to travel to India for the T20 World Cup, even after an independent security assessment ruling out any specific threat.

BCB media committee chairman Amjad Hossain said the Bangladesh Board tried its best but knew ICC “will not do it” or “do not want to” in terms of meeting his country's request and there was “nothing more” they could do.

“We have tried our best. We fully respect the ICC Board, and the Board’s majority decision was that the match cannot be relocated,” he said.

“Even after that, we tried in our own way and made requests. Since they will not do it or do not want to, there is nothing more we can do,” Hossain added.

A Delhi court on Saturday (January 24) acquitted social activist Medha Patkar in a criminal defamation case filed by Delhi L-G VK Saxena, saying the prosecution failed to prove that she made the alleged defamatory statements during a television programme in 2006.

The complaint was filed by Saxena, then president of the National Council for Civil Liberties, alleging that Patkar had defamed him during a TV programme.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Raghav Sharma, while hearing the case, said the complainant had failed to produce legally admissible evidence to establish that Patkar had made the statements.

According to the complaint, Patkar had allegedly claimed during the programme that Saxena and his NGO had received civil contracts connected with the Sardar Sarovar project, an allegation Saxena denied and termed defamatory.

The court said the material on record showed that Patkar was not a panellist on the programme and that only a short pre-recorded video clip of her was played during the telecast.

“It is important to note that neither the reporter who actually recorded the audio-video nor any person who had seen the accused making the impugned statements has been examined as a witness.

“It is also crucial to note that the clip played in the programme/show appears to be only a very short clipping from an interview or press conference of the accused,” the judge said.

“The only document capable of proving that the accused made the impugned statements would be the original electronic device in which such statements were recorded,” the court said, adding that neither the device nor a valid secondary copy was placed on record.

The case was filed before a court in Ahmedabad. It was transferred to Delhi in 2010 on the orders of the Supreme Court.

In August 2025, in a separate defamation case filed by Saxena, the Supreme Court confirmed Patkar’s conviction ordered by the trial court and set aside a penalty of Rs 1 lakh imposed on her in the case.