The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena, were ahead of rivals in early trends of the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti polls in Maharashtra, as counting of votes began on Monday morning, news agency PTI reported. According to TV channels, the BJP took an early lead in 26 zilla parishad seats, while the Eknath Shinde-headed Shiv Sena was ahead in 13. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led in 13 seats, Congress in 10, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) in six. In Baramati, the NCP has registered its first victory with Pallavi Khetre. The party is leading in 12 out of the 13 seats in Baramati, the stronghold of the Pawar family. Counting began at 10 am for elections to 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis. The polls were held on February 7 in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and Latur. A total of 731 zilla parishad members and 1,462 panchayat samiti seats were contested. While 2,624 candidates contested the zilla parishad polls, 4,814 were in the fray for the panchayat samiti elections. The results are seen as significant for the NCP factions led by late Ajit Pawar and party founder Sharad Pawar. The two factions had temporarily set aside a bitter two-year rivalry to contest these local body polls in Pune, Satara, Solapur, and Sangli under an informal alliance, fielding candidates under the original ‘clock’ symbol. The two factions had set aside their bitter two-year rivalry to contest these local body polls in an informal alliance in Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli, where candidates from both sides contested under the original 'clock' symbol. (With PTI inputs)
09 February,2026 01:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentExternal Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday met Seychelles President Dr Patrick Herminie, who is on a state visit to India aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, including maritime security and economic development. EAM Jaishankar highlighted the significance of the visit on X, writing, “Delighted to call on President Dr Patrick Herminie of the Republic of Seychelles today in Delhi. As maritime neighbours, value his support towards advancing #VisionMAHASAGAR for economic prosperity and security in the region. Confident that his engagements with PM @narendramodi later today will open new vistas for our cooperation.” Delighted to call on President Dr. Patrick Herminie of the Republic of Seychelles today in Delhi.As maritime neighbours, value his support towards advancing #VisionMAHASAGAR for economic prosperity and security in the region. Confident that his engagements with PM… pic.twitter.com/wgPBKiJOHI — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 9, 2026 President Herminie arrives in India for his first visit, 50 years of diplomatic ties celebrated President Herminie arrived in India on Thursday at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is his first visit to India since assuming office in October 2025, and comes as the two countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. During his stay, the President is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest. In addition to Delhi, President Herminie will visit other Indian cities to participate in business events aimed at boosting economic engagement between the two nations. The visit underscores India and Seychelles’ shared interest in maritime security and sustainable economic development, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. Welcoming the President, the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X, “Commemorating 50 years of longstanding and multifaceted India-Seychelles bilateral ties. Warm welcome to President Dr. Patrick Herminie of Seychelles as he arrives in Chennai for his first State visit to India.” President Herminie's India visit to strenghten Seychelles ties, boost maritime cooperation President Herminie was sworn in as the sixth President of Seychelles in October 2025 at Unity Stadium in Victoria. India was represented at the ceremony by Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, who later met the President at the State House to convey greetings from the Government and people of India. The state visit is expected to further cement India-Seychelles ties and open new avenues for collaboration in trade, security, and regional development, reinforcing the longstanding partnership between the two nations and highlighting their shared vision for maritime cooperation under the #VisionMAHASAGAR initiative.
09 February,2026 01:25 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentFive-star hotels in the national capital are witnessing an unprecedented surge in room tariffs as thousands of delegates are set to descend on New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled from February 16-20. Hotel websites and travel portals show that standard rooms at premier five-star hotels in the city, which usually fall in the Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per night range, have now been listed at rates approaching lakhs and in some categories exceeding Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per night for peak summit dates. According to an official, the Summit has garnered strong interest from the global community, with over 35,000 registrations received ahead of the event. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 01:10 PM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIndia on Saturday neither confirmed nor denied if it has decided to stop procuring Russian crude oil after the US rolled back a punitive 25 per cent tariff it had slapped on Indian goods over New Delhi’s purchases of petroleum products from Russia. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order removing the 25 per cent additional tariff. The move came days after the US president announced a trade deal with India and said that Washington would slash the tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 01:08 PM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesFour Indian students were among at least six people injured in a stabbing attack on Saturday at a university in Russia’s Bashkortostan Republic, the Indian mission here said. According to preliminary reports, a teenager armed with a knife entered a dormitory of the State Medical University in Ufa in the Bashkortostan Republic. He attacked the students living there and stabbed several of them, the Interior Ministry said. “The attacker resisted arrest, during which two police officers were stabbed. Furthermore, the suspect also inflicted bodily harm on himself,” Interior Ministry spokesperson Maj General Irina Volk was quoted as saying by RTVI.com webportal. Calling it an “unfortunate incident”, the Indian Embassy here said, “Several persons including four Indian students have been injured.” The attacker, identified as a 15-year-old youth, has also been admitted to a local children’s hospital in serious condition, the Baza telegram channel said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 01:08 PM IST | Moscow | AgenciesAadhaar custodian UIDAI has completed mandatory biometric updates (MBU) for one crore school children covering 83,000 schools across the country, an official statement said. Providing fingerprints and iris information upon crossing the ages of 5 and 15 years, is an essential requirement for children. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 01:07 PM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Dalai Lama’s office on Sunday dismissed reports circulating on social media that attempted to link the Tibetan spiritual leader with late financier and convicted sex offender from the United States, Jeffrey Epstein. “We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf,” said a press statement by the Dalai Lama’s office in Dharamsala. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 February,2026 01:05 PM IST | Dharamshala | AgenciesThree people were found dead in a car on the Peeragarhi flyover in the national capital on Sunday, police said. All three victims have been identified and one of them is also the vehicle's owner. A PCR call was received at approximately 15:50 hrs reporting that three individuals inside a car near the service lane of the flyover were unresponsive. According to the Delhi police, "Three bodies, of two men and one woman, were found earlier today at the Peeragarhi flyover in outer Delhi. Preliminary investigation suggests it is a case of suicide." Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer District) Sachin Sharma told ANI that the investigation is underway. "We recieved a call around 4 pm about a car with three bodies, none of whom were responding. It doesn't seem that something forceful happened. We are still investigating," Sharma told ANI. Police said there are no visible signs of injury on the bodies, and preliminary investigation suggests it is a case of suicide. More details are awaited. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
09 February,2026 12:56 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIPrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Monday extended birthday greetings to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde, lauding his tireless efforts towards the state’s development. PM Modi took to social media platform X to convey his wishes and recalled Shinde’s association with Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and late leader Anand Dighe. “Birthday wishes to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji. He is working tirelessly towards furthering Maharashtra’s development and realising the dreams of Pujya Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharamveer Anand Dighe. Praying for his long life and good health,” PM Modi posted. Birthday wishes to Shri Eknath Shinde Ji. He is working tirelessly towards furthering Maharashtra’s development and realising the dreams of Pujya Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharamveer Anand Dighe. Praying for his long life and good health.@mieknathshinde — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 9, 2026 Several senior leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, also greeted Shinde on his birthday. Shah in his message highlighted Shinde’s contribution to public welfare and the development of Maharashtra. “Heartiest birthday wishes to Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde. You are continuously doing commendable work towards the development of the state and public welfare. May Ganpati Bappa grant you good health and long life,” stated the Union Home Minister. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh CM, describing Shinde as a popular leader, wrote, “Happy Birthday to the popular politician, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde ji. I pray to Lord Siddhivinayak ji for your good health, long and glorious life,” he said. Shinde was born on February 9, 1964, in Dare village of Maharashtra’s Satara district, into a Maratha family. His family later moved to Thane, on the outskirts of Mumbai, where he was brought up. He studied up to Class 11 at Mangala High School and Junior College in Thane and reportedly left school early to support his family financially. Before entering politics, Shinde worked as an auto-rickshaw driver. He resumed his studies in 2014 and, in 2020, completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University. Shinde’s political journey began in the early 1980s after he was introduced to politics by Anand Dighe, then Shiv Sena president in Thane. In his early years, he led several Shiv Sena agitations in the Wagle Estate area and emerged as a prominent labour leader. In 1984, he was appointed Sakha Pramukh in Thane, a key organisational position in the party. His influence in local politics grew steadily, leading to his entry into municipal politics. In 1997, he was elected as a corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation, and in 2001, he became the Leader of the House in the civic body. Following Anand Dighe’s death in 2001, Shinde emerged as his political heir in Thane and gradually consolidated his base. His rise in local politics paved the way for his entry into the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Shinde was first elected as an MLA in 2004 and was appointed Shiv Sena’s Thane district head the following year. He was re-elected to the assembly in 2009, 2014, and 2019. During his legislative career, Shinde held several key ministerial portfolios. From 2014 to 2019, he served as Maharashtra's Minister for Public Works (Public Undertakings) and was also the Thane Guardian Minister. In 2018, he was appointed Leader of the Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. In 2019, he took charge as Minister for Public Health and Family Welfare and later held additional portfolios, including Urban Development and Public Works. He also served briefly as the acting Minister of Home Affairs. During this period, particularly during Devendra Fadnavis’ first term as chief minister, Shinde is believed to have developed closer ties with the BJP leadership. In 2022, Shinde led a revolt within the Shiv Sena, resulting in a split in the party. He pushed for the breakup of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and the re-alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing ideological differences and dissatisfaction over the Congress and NCP’s treatment of the Shiv Sena. Surat move, Sena split and consolidation of power His views were reportedly shared by a majority within the party, and he secured the support of more than two-thirds of the Shiv Sena MLAs. In June 2022, Shinde and several MLAs moved to Surat in Gujarat, triggering a major political crisis in Maharashtra that culminated in the resignation of then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Soon thereafter, Shinde formed a government with the BJP and was sworn in as the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra in June 2022, with Devendra Fadnavis taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister. Following his assumption of office, Shinde staked claim to the Shiv Sena party name and symbol, leading to a prolonged legal battle with the Uddhav Thackeray faction. Subsequently, the Election Commission of India recognised Shinde’s faction as the official Shiv Sena. The Election Commission also criticised amendments made to the party constitution under Uddhav Thackeray in 2018, terming them undemocratic and excessively centralised. Under Shinde’s leadership, the Shiv Sena won seven seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In 2024, Shinde took oath as Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. (With IANS inputs)
09 February,2026 12:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAt least six people were injured on February 8, Sunday, after a speeding Lamborghini, allegedly driven by the son of a prominent tobacco trader, rammed into pedestrians and two-wheelers on VIP Road in Kanpur’s upscale Gwaltoli area, news agency PTI reported, quoting the police. “The accident occurred around 3.15 pm near Rev-3 Mall when the luxury car, reportedly driven by Shivam Mishra, the son of businessman K K Mishra, went out of control and ploughed into people standing along the roadside and several vehicles, triggering panic in the area,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Atul Kumar Srivastava said. Eyewitnesses said the car first hit an autorickshaw and then crashed into a parked Royal Enfield motorcycle. The impact of the crash was such that the rider was thrown nearly 10 feet into the air, PTI reported. The car mounted the motorcycle’s front wheel and dragged it for some distance before hitting an electric pole and coming to a halt. One of the injured, Taufiq, a resident of Yamunaganj, was thrown several metres and suffered serious leg injuries, the police said. Others sustained fractures and bruises, PTI reported. Angry locals gathered at the spot and surrounded the car, forcing the driver to remain inside. Witnesses alleged that private bouncers accompanying the accused tried to push back the crowd and behaved aggressively, escalating tensions. Kanpur Lamborghini accident: Police going soft due to family's influence, claim locals The police rushed to the scene, rescued the driver, and shifted him along with the injured to a private hospital. The damaged Lamborghini was seized and taken to the police station, officers said. A chaotic situation later unfolded at the police station as the injured and locals alleged misbehaviour by the accused’s associates and claimed that the police were going soft due to the family’s influence. Some protesters also alleged that pressure was being exerted for a compromise and that there was a delay in registering a case. One of the injured, Sonu Tripathi, told mediapersons that he and his cousin were standing near their parked motorcycle when the car hit them. “My cousin was thrown off the bike, and two others were flung onto the footpath. We have filed a complaint,” said Tripathi. DCP Srivastava said the vehicle has been seized and further action would be taken based on the complaint. “The injured were provided primary treatment. An FIR will be registered, and further legal action will follow,” he added. KK Mishra runs Banshidhar Exports Pvt Ltd, a firm engaged in supplying tobacco to gutkha manufacturers in the region. (With PTI inputs)
09 February,2026 12:33 PM IST | Kanpur | mid-day online correspondentUS President Donald Trump has said that India and the US have agreed on a trade deal under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariff on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent. The announcement is important as the US has imposed a steep 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods entering American markets from August 27, 2025. India-US trade deal: Key points to know about the announcement Tariff definitionThese are customs or import duties which a country imposes on goods bought from other nations. An importer has to pay this duty to the government. Normally, companies pass on these taxes to end users or consumers. Import duty makes goods expensive in the importing country. Besides, a few other factors also play a role in this. For example, duty on India's competitor nations such as Bangladesh (20 pc), Vietnam (20 pc) and Thailand (19 pc); and quality and standards of items. USA'S tariffs on India:In August 2025, the US announced to impose a 25 per cent tariff plus another 25 per cent punitive duty for buying Russia's crude oil and military equipment. These duties are imposed over and above the existing tariffs that the Indian goods are facing in the US. The US has reduced the duty to 18 per cent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he was delighted that "made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18 per cent". Why is US imposing tariffs:The US has alleged that it faces a significant trade deficit with India, blaming New Delhi for imposing high tariffs on American goods, which it says restricts US exports to the Indian market. Trump's announcement:"It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India...We spoke about many things, including Trade...He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25 percent to 18 percent. "They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to "BUY AMERICAN," at a much higher level, in addition to over 500 billion dollars of US Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products," Trump has said in a social media post. Details of the deal:No details are available so far. An executive order from the US may provide clarity on the tariff issues, the trade deal document is expected to outline the sectors covered under the agreement. Both are awaited. Gains for India: Labour-intensive sectors such as garments, leather and non-leather footwear, gems and jewellery, carpets and handicrafts may get a boost as high tariffs were hurting exports of these goods to the US. Bilateral trade:During 2021-25, the US was India's largest trading partner in goods. The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in bilateral trade. In 2024-25, the bilateral trade touched USD 186 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports and USD 45.3 billion imports). With America, India had a trade surplus (the difference between imports and exports) of USD 41 billion in 2024-25. It was USD 35.32 billion in 2023-24 and USD 27.7 billion in 2022-23. In services, India exported an estimated USD 28.7 billion and imported USD 25.5 billion, adding a USD 3.2 billion surplus.Altogether, India ran a total trade surplus of about USD 44.4 billion with the US. Major products traded between the two:In 2024, India's main exports to the US included drug formulations and biologicals (USD 8.1 billion), telecom instruments (USD 6.5 billion), precious and semi-precious stones (USD 5.3 billion), petroleum products (USD 4.1 billion), vehicle and auto components (USD 2.8 billion), gold and other precious metal jewellery (USD 3.2 billion), ready-made garments of cotton, including accessories (USD 2.8 billion), and products of iron and steel (USD 2.7 billion). Imports included crude oil (USD 4.5 billion), petroleum products (USD 3.6 billion), coal, coke (USD 3.4 billion), cut and polished diamonds (USD 2.6 billion), electric machinery (USD 1.4 billion), aircraft, spacecraft and parts (USD 1.3 billion), and gold (USD 1.3 billion). Services trade:As per estimates, USA's services imports from India amounted to USD 40.6 billion in calendar year 2024, with computer/information services imports at USD 16.7 billion and business management/consulting at USD 7.5 billion. High tariffs in US:As per reports, the US imposes high duties on items like dairy products (188 per cent), fruits and vegetables (132 per cent), coffee, tea, cocoa and spices (53 per cent), Cereals and food preparations (193 per cent), Oilseeds, fats and oils (164 per cent), beverages and tobacco (150 per cent), Minerals and metals (187 per cent), and Chemicals (56 per cent). Comments of experts on India-US trade deal:EPC (Apparel Export Promotion Council) Chairman A Sakthivel: This development is expected to give a boost to apparel exports, attract fresh investments across the value chain, and reinforce India's position as a reliable global sourcing hub. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President SC Ralhan: It is expected to lead to an immediate and substantial release of orders that were earlier put on hold, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as apparel, textiles, leather and footwear. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
09 February,2026 11:14 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-1770106970587_d.png "US President Donald Trump (left) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File Pic")