- Army social media policy: The Army has restricted personnel to passive viewing on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, X and Quora, barring comments or posts, while allowing limited use of messaging apps only for unclassified communication with known contacts.
- Odisha Maoist encounter: Senior CPI (Maoist) leader Ganesh Uike, a central committee member with a Rs 1.2 crore bounty, was among four Naxals killed in Kandhamal, taking the two-day toll in the district to six.
- Gadkari on Haniyeh meeting: Union minister Nitin Gadkari recalled meeting Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh hours before his assassination in Tehran, linking the incident to the growing role of technology in modern security challenges.
- Tarique Rahman returns to Bangladesh: BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, son of former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia, returned to Dhaka after over 17 years in exile and is seen as the party’s main face ahead of February 12 elections.
- Overseas remittances scrutiny: Banks have tightened checks on foreign fund transfers amid a falling rupee, asking HNIs and NRIs for CA-certified proof of fund sources, with some insisting on bank-empanelled accountants.
Here are the top 5 stories of the day:
‘Don’t comment, post views’: Army issues policy on use of social media apps
The Army has issued a new policy regulating the use of social media and messaging applications by its personnel, allowing access with strict limitations. As per the guidelines, platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter) and Quora may be used only for passive viewing or monitoring purposes, with posting of comments, messages or other user-generated content strictly prohibited. Read full story
Odisha encounter: Top Maoist with Rs 1.2 crore bounty among 4 killed
A senior Maoist leader was among four Naxals killed in an encounter with security forces in Odisha’s Kandhamal. The slain included Ganesh Uike (69), a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and the outfit’s Odisha in-charge, marking the first instance in recent years of a commander of his rank being neutralised in the state. With this operation, the number of Maoists killed in Kandhamal over the past two days has risen to six, following a separate encounter on Wednesday in which two cadres, including an area committee member, were shot dead. Read full story
Nitin Gadkari recalls meeting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh hours before assassination
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has recalled an encounter with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh just hours before Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, citing the episode as an example of the increasing influence of technology in contemporary warfare and national security. He recalled noticing one individual among the dignitaries who was not a head of state. “I wondered who he was. I also shook hands and asked. He was the head of Hamas,” he said, adding that Haniyeh later walked into the ceremony alongside Iran’s president and chief justice, while other delegates followed. Read full story
Bangladesh unrest: Ex-PM Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman returns after 17 years in exile
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman arrived at Sylhet airport in Dhaka, bringing to an end more than 17 years of self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom. He had left Bangladesh in 2008 for medical treatment amid mounting legal and political challenges. The elder son of former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, Rahman is widely regarded as the party’s key electoral figure ahead of the parliamentary polls scheduled for February 12, especially with Zia continuing to remain in poor health. Read full story
Rich Indians rush to transfer money abroad as rupee falls, banks expand regulations
Banks have stepped up scrutiny of overseas remittances, with several Indians being asked to provide detailed proof of the source of funds amid a weakening rupee, according to a media report. Over the past month, at least two Mumbai-headquartered private sector banks have sought chartered accountant–certified documents from high net worth individuals, non-resident Indians and a film production company to validate funds proposed to be sent abroad. In some cases, customers were told the certification must be issued by accountants empanelled with the bank, the report said. Read full story Go to Source
