THE BIG story

Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin agree to extend US-Russia New START agreement
The New START agreement, which limited the size of the US and Russia's strategic nuclear arsenals, expires on 5 February

Union Budget 2021: Auto industry optimistic about recovery from pandemic; expects cut in GST rates
The removal of restrictions to avail the input tax credit of GST paid on automobiles for businesses would make vehicles more affordable when used for business purposes, besides fulfilling the basic intention of GST to eliminate cascading of taxes.

How aggressive Ram Navami celebrations paved the way for BJP in Bengal: Read an excerpt from Sambit Pal's new book
The lavish Ram Navami celebrations were the VHP and its associate organisations’ answer to Muharram processions in Bengal. The BJP rode on this wave to extract political benefit out of it, writes Sambit Pal

MeToo in the world of Kathak: Faults within guru-shishya parampara, dependence on teachers has led to culture of silence
Though it does have its positives, the guru-shishya tradition unfortunately stops us from moving towards a more progressive and open community, where constructive discussions can take place without fearing consequences.

Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin effective against UK variant of COVID-19, says review report
Covaxin - vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech - is effective against UK variants of COVID-19, according to a study on 26 participants, shared by the company on Wednesday.

Premier League: Chelsea squad 'is a present' for new manager Thomas Tuchel, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp
Lampard was dismissed on Monday just 18 months into a three-year contract after a run of five defeats in eight Premier League games that has left Chelsea down in 10th, 12 points off the top.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: All 33 sports 'unanimously' want Games in July, says Francesco Ricci Bitti
Francesco Ricci Bitti, president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations said, “We need to be ready to have Games that won’t be COVID-free."

West Indies batsman Shai Hope, brother Kyle test positive for COVID-19
The Hope brothers have been placed under isolation and will miss Barbados' campaign in the upcoming Super50 Cup.

Shubhankar Sharma, Gaganjeet Bhullar aim for better show at Dubai Desert Classic
Sharma, who ended 2020 with a good set of results, had a disappointing start but he hopes for a better week as he tees off with George Coetzee and Andrea Pavan early in the morning at 7.30 am.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Vishnu Solanki's unbeaten 71 guides Baroda to stunning quarter-final win over Haryana
Baroda first restricted Haryana to 148/7 in the third quarter-final, and then it was Solanki, who hammered four fours and five sixes in his 46-ball unbeaten knock to get his team over the line after 18 runs were needed off the final over.

Premier League: Manager David Moyes says West Ham getting better, but have so much more to give
The Hammers' 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday was their sixth successive victory in all competitions and lifted them into fourth place in the table and a Champions League spot.

Farmers' tractor march: Congress demands Amit Shah's resignation for violence at Red Fort, blames Centre for Tuesday's incident
Surjewala said that Tuesday's was the second time Shah as Home Minister failed to stop violence in the National Capital and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi expels him immediately

Former Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa joins Greek side PAOK
PAOK did not reveal any financial details of the deal for the 31-year-old, who has played almost 100 times for Japan since making his international debut as a teenager in 2008, scoring 31 goals.

Premier League: Arsenal sign Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid on loan till end of season
Odegaard shone when on loan at Real Sociedad last season, but has struggled for game time since returning to the Spanish champions this campaign.

Cancer patients needing surgery to increase by 5 million globally by 2040: Lancet study
The research estimates that there will be a shortfall of about 1,99,000 surgeons and 87,000 anaesthetists to meet the demand in 2040.

Coppa Italia: Zlatan Ibrahimovic accuses Romelu Lukaku of practicing 'voodo' in during clash, say reports
AC Milan forward Ibrahimovic and his Inter Milan opponent Lukaku were involved in a heated altercation at the half-time whistle in the San Siro.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma remain ICC's top two ODI batsmen; Jasprit Bumrah third in bowler's rankings
Kohli, who had scored 89 and 63 against Australia in his last two ODI appearance, has 870 points to his kitty.

Union Budget 2021: Centre may address inverted duty structure for steel products to boost manufacturing, say sources
Inverted duty structure impacts the domestic industry as manufacturers have to pay more for raw material in terms of duty, while the finished product lands at lower duty and cost

Lone INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala resigns from Haryana Assembly to protest over farm laws
In a letter to the Speaker, Chautala slammed the Centre for imposing the "black laws" on farmers in an "undemocratic way" and said the farming community in the entire country is opposing these legislations

Three Uttar Pradesh journalists booked for reporting on plight of school children during state govt event
The local journalists, working with a news channel, have been accused of public mischief and criminal intimidation in an FIR for a news report on school children who were allegedly made to exercise in biting cold conditions without winter wear