School assembly headlines February 4: Top stories you need to know today

Students preparing for assemblies can catch up on today’s top news headlines from India, world, business, sports and education. From major political developments and government decisions to global affairs and economic updates, here’s a quick roundup of the most important stories making headlines today to keep you informed and updated.

NATIONAL NEWS

US-India trade deal sealed after Modi-Trump call; Tariffs on Indian goods cut to 18%

New Delhi: India and the United States reached a trade agreement under which Washington will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the existing 25 per cent, US President Donald Trump announced.

Trump, in a social media post, said the deal had been struck “out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request,” and would take effect immediately. In the post, he also asserted that India would go on to eliminate its tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the United States.

Air India inspects Boeing 787 fleet over fuel control switch issue: Sources

New Delhi: Air India has begun inspections of the fuel control switches across its Boeing 787 fleet after a malfunction was reported on a Dreamliner that operated a London Heathrow–Bengaluru flight, sources said on Tuesday.

Following the incident, Air India’s Senior Vice President for Flight Operations, Manish Uppal, informed Boeing 787 pilots that a fleet-wide re-inspection of fuel control switches had been initiated.  Uppal added that inspections completed so far have not revealed any adverse findings.

'Unruly behaviour': Eight Opposition MPs suspended from Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Eight Opposition members were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday for 'unruly behaviour', including for tearing papers and throwing them at the Chair. This includes two MPs from Kerala, Dean Kuriakose and Hibi Eden.

As soon as the House met at 3 pm following multiple adjournments, Dilip Saika, who was in the Chair, named the eight Congress members. Subsequently, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju read out a resolution seeking suspension of the eight members for the remaining period of the Budget session that is scheduled to conclude on April 2.

‘Comply with Indian laws or leave the country,’ SC warns WhatsApp, Meta over user data sharing

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has told social media giant WhatsApp and its parent company Meta that they may leave the country if they cannot comply with laws framed under the Indian Constitution. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, emphasised that the rights of Indian citizens cannot be violated.

The case also relates to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy law, under which the Competition Commission of India had imposed a fine of ₹213.14 crore.

Lok Sabha memoir row: Parliamentary expert says Rule 349 allows quoting if relevant to business

New Delhi: A parliamentary expert has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to cite passages from the unpublished memoir of former Army chief General M M Naravane in the Lok Sabha, saying Rule 349 the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha does not distinguish between published and unpublished works but requires relevance to House business.

Former Lok Sabha secretary general P D T Achary explained that while the rule is negatively framed, it has a positive meaning: members may quote documents if they are relevant to proceedings. He added that speakers have traditionally required members to authenticate documents before quoting them. Hpwever, quoting false or misleading material could invite a privilege motion.

Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project achieves second tunnel breakthrough in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Mumbai–Ahmedabad’s high-speed rail project marked another milestone on Tuesday with its second tunnel breakthrough in a month in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, officials confirmed.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw witnessed the achievement virtually from New Delhi via video link as engineers completed work on tunnel MT-6 near Saphale village. The tunnel, measuring 454 metres in length and 14.4 metres in width, will accommodate both up and down tracks of the bullet train corridor.

This follows the successful breakthrough of tunnel MT-5 in the same area on 2 January, underscoring steady progress on India’s first bullet train project.

Kerala approves ₹1.92 lakh crore high-speed rail; Work on Travancore Line from 2027

The Kerala government has moved ahead with plans to implement a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) as an alternative to the stalled SilverLine project, with the Transport Department issuing a formal order to this effect.

The proposed RRTS corridor is envisaged as a 583-km high-speed rail network running from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, to be completed over a 12-year period. The project is planned in four phases, with approval now granted for the first phase — a 284-km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur, to be known as the Travancore Line.

Music director SP Venkatesh passes away

Chennai: Veteran South Indian music director S P Venkatesh, best known for his breakthrough with the 1986 film Rajavinte Makan, passed away at his residence on Tuesday following a cardiac arrest, according to film industry sources. He was 70.

Renowned for his collaborations with leading actors such as Mohanlal and Mammootty, Venkatesh captivated audiences with his evocative melodies and powerful background scores, leaving an enduring mark on Indian cinema.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia states India has not committed to stopping oil purchases

The Kremlin said Tuesday it had not received any indication from India that it would stop buying Russian oil following the announcement of a trade deal with US President Donald Trump.

Trump said he had struck a deal to reduce tariffs on India and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine.

"So far, we haven't heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

While Modi thanked Trump for the "wonderful" phone call and the easing of tariffs as part of the trade deal finalised on Tuesday, he made no reference to Trump's assertion about halting oil purchases.

French cybercrime prosecutors raid Elon Musk’s X offices in Paris

Paris: French prosecutors raided the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Tuesday as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged offences including the circulation of child sexual abuse material and sexually explicit deepfakes.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the cybercrime unit had opened the investigation in January last year. It is examining possible “complicity” in the possession and distribution of pornographic images of minors, the creation and spread of deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity, and manipulation of automated data processing systems within an organised group, among other charges.

SPORTS NEWS

'Hope PCB will consider long term implications': ICC opens 'back-channel talks’

Pakistan’s decision to boycott their T20 World Cup group match against India has reportedly prompted "back-channel talks" between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board amid concerns over potential financial fallout.

As per The Dawn report, a few other cricket boards have also extended support to the ICC in its attempt to reach an understanding with PCB.

It is currently unclear whether Pakistan will be sanctioned for the move, with the ICC urging the PCB to consider the significant and long-term implications if the boycott were to go ahead.