Breaking News Live February 2: Trump signs order imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, China

USAID security chiefs on leave after trying to prevent Musk's DOGE from accessing classified material, officials say, reports AP

US secretary of state Marco Rubio met with Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on Sunday, marking the start of his first foreign trip. The visit comes as President Donald Trump increases pressure on allies, including a demand for the U.S. to regain control of the Panama Canal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday at the White House. This will be Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader since returning to office. Netanyahu said their talks will focus on defeating Hamas, countering Iran, and expanding Israel’s ties with Arab nations.

Schools on the Greek tourist island of Santorini will remain closed on Monday following a series of small earthquakes that rattled the region, civil protection authorities announced.

The decision, ordered by Civil Protection Minister Vasilis Kikilias and other government officials, comes after multiple tremors were detected in the sea around Santorini and nearby islands—an area known for one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history.

The strongest quake so far measured a magnitude of 4.6, with dozens of smaller tremors also recorded.

Russia on Sunday blamed Kyiv for a deadly strike on one of the towns in its Kursk region currently occupied by Ukrainian troops, as President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Moscow for the attack.

"On February 1, the Ukrainian Armed Forces committed another war crime by launching a targeted missile strike on a boarding school in the city of Sudzha," said a statement from Russia's defence ministry.

US President Donald Trump signs an order imposing tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, reports The Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin talks on the second phase of a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday during his visit to Washington, his office said.
The prime minister "spoke this evening with the US President's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. The two agreed that negotiations on the second phase of the hostage deal will begin when they meet in Washington this coming Monday," Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Saturday.

Chairman of JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal to present the Report (Hindi and English versions) of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Chairman of JPC on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal to lay on the Table the record of evidence given before the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

A fire broke out at a scrap market in suburban Kurla (West) here on Saturday afternoon, civic officials said. A fire brigade personnel received a minor injury as the blaze was extinguished after four hours, they said. The fire started in a 'gala' (unit) at the scrap market located near Equinox building around 4.20 pm, and was categorised as 'level 2' (major).

It soon spread to eight shops in lane number 2 and three shops in lane number 3. Multiple fire engines, water tankers and fire brigade teams were sent to the spot and the blaze was put out by 8.30 pm, said an official. Scrap material, electric wiring and installations, cardboard stock, furniture, plastic material and empty chemical drums were damaged, he said, adding that the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. Fireman Suraj Tanaji Nakashe (25) received an injury to the left knee during the dousing operation. He was discharged from the hospital after treatment.

A medical transport jet crashed in Philadelphia on Friday about 30 seconds after taking off, setting homes ablaze and unleashing a fireball into the night sky. Two people were on board, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said he is offering all “Commonwealth resources as they respond to the small private plane crash in Northeast Philly.”

The crash comes two days after the country’s deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century. An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided in midair Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., with an Army helicopter carrying three soldiers. There were no survivors in that crash.

The plane appeared to be a Learjet 55 that quickly disappeared from radar after takeoff. It was en route to Springfield, Missouri, and registered to a company operating as Med Jets, according to the flight tracking website Flight Aware.

Firefighting operations are underway after a massive fire broke out in a truck loaded with gas cylinders near Bhopura Chowk.

According to Chief Fire Officer Rahul Kumar, fire brigade officials and employees are on the spot but as the cylinders continued to explode, the fire brigade personnel are not able to reach the truck.

"The sound of the cylinder blast can be heard for several kilometres in the vicinity," added CFO Rahul Kumar.

Visuals show the blasts being heard in the video which was shot 2-3 km away from the spot.

The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained.

No casualties or injuries have been reported from the incident as yet.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says, "...Many years too late the Biden administration had a chance to let the American people know the truth about that (COVID-19) but for some reason, they chose not to. Several years ago, President Trump would take to this podium and brief the American people on COVID-19. He suggested that COVID-19 may have come from a lab in Wuhan, China and many members in this room mocked him for that and said that he was spewing conspiracy theories but he was not. We now know that to be the confirmable truth. It took many years to come out but the President was right..."