Top news of the day: Four dead in Bhandara Ordnance factory blast; 10 opposition members suspended from Waqf Bill panel, and more

Top news updates from The Hindu on January 24, 2025

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that according to preliminary information, 13 to 14 workers were stuck after the roof of a unit collapsed in the blast at the Bhandara ordnance factory. Mr. Fadnavis, in a post on X, said, “five people were rescued, and the district collector and superintendent of police were at the spot, while a team from the state disaster response force (SDRF) from Nagpur is on the way.”

“Over 70 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 15,000 police personnel are set to be deployed across the capital for Republic Day celebrations,” an official said on Friday (January 24, 2025). “The city will be monitored by drones and CCTV surveillance and cyber-specialist officers will be deployed to oversee operations,” a senior police officer said.

The meeting of the parliamentary committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill began on a stormy note on Friday (January 24, 2025), with opposition members claiming they were not being given adequate time to study the proposed changes to the draft legislation. Ten opposition members attending the parliamentary panel meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill were suspended for a day on Friday (January 24, 2025). The Joint Committee on Waqf Amendment Bill, chaired by BJP member Jagdambika Pal, is scheduled to hear the views of a delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the religious head of Kashmir.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner continued his sizzling Australian Open run with a 7-6(2) 6-2 6-2 win over American 21st seed Ben Shelton to reach a second straight final at Melbourne Park and book a meeting with Alexander Zverev. Sinner’s victory made the 23-year-old the youngest man to make multiple finals at the Australian Open since Jim Courier in 1992-93 and kept alive his dream of becoming the first Italian to lift three Grand Slam singles trophies. Sinner entered the match on Rod Laver Arena having won four of his five meetings with left-hander Shelton but found himself in trouble early on as a thunderous forehand winner handed the American a break, which he followed up with a tight hold.

The Delhi High Court on Friday (January 24, 2025) refused a petition by several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs that the 14 CAG reports linked to policy initiatives of the Delhi Government be tabled at the State Assembly. Justice Sachin Datta, however, observed that there was an “inordinate delay” on part of the Delhi Government in the matter. It said that the tabling of the audit reports was mandatory under the Constitution.

Sri Lanka has revoked a 2024 power purchase agreement with Adani Green Energy — for a proposed wind power plant in the island’s Northern Province — following corruption allegations, news agency AFP reported on Friday (January 24, 2025). “The government has revoked the power purchase agreement, but the project is not cancelled. A committee has been appointed to review the entire project,” the report said, quoting an unnamed senior official from the Energy Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump and Moscow is waiting for word from Washington that it is ready too, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday (January 24, 2025). Mr. Trump said on Thursday he wanted to meet Mr. Putin as soon as possible to secure an end to the war with Ukraine and expressed his desire to work towards cutting nuclear arms, something the Kremlin said Mr. Putin had made clear he wanted, too.