Here is a look at the top headlines of the day:

  1. India objects to Singapore PM’s comment on criminal charges against MPs, summons envoy: Lee Hsien Loong had said that “almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder”.
  2. Supreme Court sets aside High Court’s stay order on 75% job reservation for Haryana residents: The court said that the matter should be decided in a month and asked the state government to not take any coercive steps against private sector employers.
  3. Plea filed in Supreme Court to cancel Ashish Mishra’s bail in Lakhimpur Kheri case: In their plea, Advocates Shiv Kumar Tripathi and CS Panda have argued that the High Court’s verdict is “unsustainable” in law and the bail order has “manifest error.” They have asked the Supreme Court to set aside the bail order.
  4. Hijab ban is an internal matter, comments by outsiders are not welcome, says foreign ministry: Pointing out that the matter was sub-judice in the Karnataka High Court, the ministry’s spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that people from outside the country have no right to comment on internal matters pertaining to the Indian Constitution and its people.
  5. BJP is still blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for people’s problems, says former PM Manmohan Singh: He made the statement in a video message addressing the voters of Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections that are scheduled to take place on February 20.
  6. Court issues notice to Delhi Police for producing Umar Khalid in handcuffs despite contrary orders: In a plea, the activist had contended that it was illegal to produce him in handcuffs and had sought a departmental inquiry on why Delhi Police did so.
  7. Tax officials raid premises of former National Stock Exchange chief Chitra Ramakrishna, say reports: The searches came in the backdrop of an order that said Ramakrishna took decisions at NSE allegedly based on the guidance of an unknown Himalayan ascetic.
  8. India removes curbs on flights from Ukraine amid tensions along border with Russia: On Wednesday, the Indian embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev said that more flights are planned in the near future on account of the rising demand.
  9. IED recovered from abandoned house in Delhi’s Old Seemapuri area: Unidentified police officials said that they received information about the IED while investigating about a similar explosive found in the city’s Ghazipur flower market last month.
  10. Russia still sending forces to Ukraine border, say NATO and United States: Their allegations come amid reports of Russia pulling back some of its troops from the Ukraine border, in what is being seen as a sign of de-escalation.