Evening News Report: Arvind Kejriwal challenges PM Modi to hold fresh Delhi polls; HC endorses ‘Kerala Story 2’ release; & more

Here are the day’s top stories:

Kejriwal After court relief, will PM Modi dare to reopen Delhi polls?

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold fresh elections in Delhi and said he will quit politics if the BJP wins more than 10 seats. Citing a court order in the alleged liquor fraud case, Kejriwal claimed that the 600-page ruling contained “not even a shred of evidence” to allow the trial to proceed, and accused Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah of hatching a political conspiracy. Follow real-time updates

Kerala High Court stays order stopping release of ‘Kerala Stories 2’

The Kerala High Court has stayed for two weeks a judge’s order suspending the release of “Kerala Stories 2 – Beyond”. The earlier ruling had cited concerns about communal disharmony and raised questions about the CBFC’s review. Detailed zoning bench orders are awaited. Read more

Pakistan launches air strikes, Afghanistan seeks dialogue

Islamabad carried out nighttime air strikes in Kabul, Kandahar and other areas, reportedly killing 133 people, as Afghanistan’s Taliban government called for dialogue to resolve rising tensions with Pakistan. Pakistan said the attack was retaliation for cross-border shooting that allegedly killed 55 Pakistani soldiers. Follow real-time updates

India’s GDP grew 7.8% in Q3 FY26 based on revised base year series

India’s real GDP grew by 7.8% in the October-December quarter of fiscal 2025-26, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) based on the new 2022-23 base year series. The full-year growth is expected to be 7.6%, with nominal GDP growth of 8.6%. Read more

Sensex, Nifty fall over 1% on FII sell-off and global panic

Benchmark indices Nifty50 and BSE Sensex fell over 1%, falling for the second day in a row as foreign fund outflows, weak global cues and geopolitical tensions dented sentiment. Foreign investors sold 3,466 crore rupees worth of shares, while weakness on Wall Street, led by a sharp fall in Nvidia shares, added to the pressure. Read more