Centre not delaying judges’ appointment in higher courts: SC
The Supreme Court on Friday said that the Centre hasn’t been delaying the appointment of judges in higher judiciary. “Whatever is pending, is pending before the Supreme Court collegium,” the apex court said. The SC was hearing a PIL which alleged that the Centre has been “indefinitely sitting” on the names recommended by the SC collegium for appointment of judges.
69% of Indians never voted for PM Modi: P Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday claimed that 69% of Indians never voted for PM Narendra Modi. He further said that instead of fulfilling promises made during polls, PM Modi was doing things he didn’t say, such as demonetisation and GST. “Making Pakoda is a job which was invented by PM Modi only,” Chidambaram added.
204 lions died in Gir forest in last 2 years: Gujarat govt
Gujarat Forest Minister Ganpatbhai Vasava on Friday said that 204 lions, including 94 cubs, died in the Gir forest region in the last two years. Of the 204 deaths, 27 were because of “unnatural causes”, like falling into a well or being run over by a train, he added. He further said that 331 leopards died in 2017 and 2018.
SC to hear pleas seeking review of Rafale verdict on Feb 26
The Supreme Court will hear the petitions seeking review of its Rafale verdict on February 26. The petitions, filed by former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan, claimed that the December 14 judgment contained “patent factual and legal errors”. The review petition filed by AAP MP Sanjay Singh is also listed for hearing.
Odisha to give free sanitary napkins to 17 lakh school girls
The Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved the ‘Khushi’ scheme to provide free sanitary napkins to school girls across the state. The scheme will benefit nearly 17.25 lakh school girls from Class VI to XII studying in government and government-aided schools. The state government will spend ₹466 crore over a period of five years to implement the scheme.
T-rex evolved from a dinosaur smaller than a kangaroo: Study
Scientists in US’ Utah have unearthed a fossil which suggests Tyrannosaurus rex evolved from a dinosaur smaller than a kangaroo. The species, named ‘Moros intrepidus’ (harbinger of doom), was roughly around 3 metres long, whereas T-rex is estimated to have been roughly 13 metres long. The fossil has helped close a 70-million-year gap in the T-rex fossil record, researchers said.
NASA launches website to check daily weather on Mars
NASA has launched a website to share the daily weather report of Mars with its temperature, atmospheric pressure and wind speed collected by the InSight lander. Temperature on Mars regularly drops below -90°C and rarely rises above -9°C, the data revealed. Calling it “geeky fun for meteorologists,” NASA said, “It gives you the sense of visiting an alien place.”
BMW, Mercedes parent to invest €1bn in venture to rival Uber
German automakers BMW and Mercedes-parent Daimler have revealed they will invest over €1 billion in a new ride-hailing joint venture to compete with existing rivals like Uber. The venture is estimated to become world’s largest car-sharing operator after the automakers merge their existing car-sharing schemes, DriveNow and Car2Go. It will also offer services like parking and electric car charging.
Andhra CM challenges Shah to prove allegations against him
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has challenged BJP President Amit Shah to prove the allegations that Naidu trusted Pakistan PM Imran Khan and not PM Narendra Modi on Pulwama attack. “BJP is resorting to mudslinging on TDP…by alleging that they’re trying to politicise jawans’ death,” Naidu said. Naidu further asked Shah to apologise to the nation for the “false” campaign.
Google to end forced arbitration in all employee disputes
Google has announced it will end forced arbitration for all employee disputes, expanding its previous decision taken in November 2018 to end the same for individual sexual abuse complaints. Forced arbitration ensures disputes are settled privately, without any right to an appeal and prevents employees from suing firms. The new policy will come into effect from March 21, Google revealed.
I launch deserving candidates, not anybody: Salman Khan
Salman Khan, who launched brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, Warina Hussain, Suniel Shetty’s daughter Athiya and Aditya Pancholi’s son Sooraj, said, “I launch deserving candidates, not anybody.” Salman is now introducing Nutan’s granddaughter and Mohnish Bahl’s daughter Pranutan and his childhood friend’s son Zaheer Iqbal in the upcoming film ‘Notebook’. He also launched Sneha Ullal and Zareen Khan.
Pak was taking strong advantage of US, I stopped paying them: Trump
US President Donald Trump has accused Pakistan of taking “very strong advantage” of the US under other presidents, adding that he may set up some meetings with the country. “We were paying Pakistan $1.3 billion a year. I ended that payment, because they were not helping us in the way they should have,” he stated.
Sedition charges against 14 AMU students dropped by UP police
The UP police has dropped sedition charges against 14 AMU students citing lack of evidence. The charges were filed on the complaint of BJP’s youth wing BJYM’s district president Mukesh Lodhi after he claimed that some students had raised pro-Pakistan slogans during an altercation. The altercation appeared to have been triggered by reports of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi visiting AMU.
Gujarat defeat Rajasthan after tied T20 match decided on boundaries
Gujarat claimed victory against Rajasthan due to hitting more boundaries after tied scores in Super Over forced a count-back in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on Friday. The match went into a Super Over wherein both the teams scored 4 each after hitting 143/7 apiece in 20 overs. Gujarat won as they scored 16 boundaries, while Rajasthan slammed 13 boundaries.
Dangerous situation between India, Pak, would like it to stop: Trump
Talking to the reporters in the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said, “Right now between Pakistan and India, there is a very, very bad situation, a very dangerous situation. We would like to see it stop.” “India is looking at something very strong. India just lost almost 50 people in the attack. I can understand that too,” he added.
We identify as Indians: CRPF on article over martyred jawans’ caste
After an article published in ‘The Caravan’ listed the castes of the CRPF jawans martyred in the Pulwama terror attack, CRPF spokesperson Moses Dhinakaran said, “We in CRPF identify ourself as Indians. Not more, not less.” Asking the magazine to refrain from “insulting” the martyrs, he stated, “This pathetic divisiveness of caste, color, and religion doesn’t exist in our blood.”
India has still not been able to accept Partition: Pak Army
Amid tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terror attack, Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor on Friday claimed India has not been able to accept the “reality of partition”. He stated, “We have a 72-year history. The partition happened in 1947 and Pakistan was liberated. India still hasn’t been able to accept that.”
Pak claims it has taken control of Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters
Pakistan has claimed that it has taken over control of a campus comprising Madressatul Sabir and Jama-e-Masjid Subhanallah in Bahawalpur, believed to be the headquarters of Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammed. This comes a day after Pakistan PM Imran Khan chaired a National Security Committee meeting. Notably, Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack on February 14.
Satyamev Jayate left me traumatised, had to consult doctor: Aamir
Actor Aamir Khan has said the first season of his talk show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ was “very traumatic” for him. He added he would break down for “no reason at all” and couldn’t go out. “I was an emotional wreck. I…got some help from a doctor. It was…very tough because I’m not trained to listen to emotional issues,” he explained.
Centre denied Jamia’s request to confer honorary doctorate on SRK
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development denied Jamia Millia Islamia University’s request to award an honorary doctorate to actor Shah Rukh Khan in 2018, according to an RTI response. The government refused the request, saying it “wouldn’t be in order” as Khan had received a similar degree from the Maulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad in 2016.
Railways to run special train to Statue of Unity from Mar 4
Indian Railways will run a special train under the Bharat Darshan tour scheme for tourists visiting Gujarat’s Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue, from March 4. The train will have a seven-night and eight-day tour which will begin from Chandigarh. The tour will also cover pilgrimages like Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and Shirdi Sai Baba Darshan, among others.
Japan probe lands on asteroid, shoots bullet to take samples
Japanese space agency JAXA has confirmed its spacecraft Hayabusa2 successfully landed on asteroid Ryugu and shot a bullet to collect samples blown by it. The bullet fired was first of the planned three, where an “impactor” to blast out material from underneath Ryugu’s surface will also be shot. Hayabusa2 is expected to bring the samples to Earth by 2020.
AIADMK MP S Rajendran dies in road accident in Tamil Nadu
Sixty-two-year-old AIADMK MP S Rajendran died in a road accident on Saturday morning near Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu’s Viluppuram district. Rajendran, a first-time MP who represented Viluppuram constituency, was returning from a dinner hosted by PMK founder Ramadoss when the car hit a road divider. Three others, including his driver, were injured and were rushed to the hospital.
Opposition has dealers, BJP has strong leaders: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Friday said that Opposition only has dealers while the BJP has strong leaders like PM Narendra Modi. “Mahagathbandhan has no leader, intention, policy because it is just an alliance of the corrupt,” he added. He further said that just like communists have been wiped out of the world, Congress will be wiped out of India.
You cannot imprison ideas: Mufti on crackdown on separatists
After Jammu and Kashmir Police detained Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and arrested several Jamaat-e-Islami workers, former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti called it an “arbitrary move”. Questioning the legality of the move, she said, “You can imprison a person but not his ideas.” She further said that the move will only precipitate matters in the state.
Gave auditions for around 2.5 yrs: Nutan’s granddaughter Pranutan
Nutan’s granddaughter and Mohnish Bahl’s daughter Pranutan, who will make her Bollywood debut with ‘Notebook’, said, “I did give a lot of auditions for two and a half years or so for a lot of films.” Pranutan added that for ‘Notebook’, she gave a five-hour long audition and the makers also auditioned around 80 to 100 girls before finalising her.
Hong Kong firm buys Hyd’s Oakridge school chain for ₹1,500cr: Report
Hong Kong-based Nord Anglia Education has acquired Hyderabad-based private school chain Oakridge International Schools. The companies did not disclose financial details but reports said Oakridge has been bought for an estimated ₹1,500-1,600 crore. Apart from two campuses in Hyderabad, Oakridge International also has a campus each in Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru and Mohali.
Trump nominates Canada envoy as US ambassador to UN
US President Donald Trump has nominated Kelly Craft, currently the US envoy to Canada, as the country’s next ambassador to the United Nations (UN). Craft, whose appointment is pending approval by the US Senate, will replace Nikki Haley who resigned at the end of 2018. Craft’s nomination comes after Heather Nauert, Trump’s first choice to replace Haley, withdrew her candidacy.
Centre stays permit allowing Assam Rifles to arrest without warrant
The Union Home Ministry on Friday put on hold a notification that allowed Assam Rifles personnel to arrest anyone and conduct searches without a warrant in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. The Union Home Ministry officials said the notification, which was issued on February 19, would be revisited in consultation with the concerned state governments.
Punjab to build Jallianwala memorial with soil from its 13k villages
To commemorate 100 years of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government has decided to build a memorial in Amritsar with soil from all 13,000 villages of the state. The government said the memorial is being built to “eulogize the immense contribution of Punjabis in the national freedom struggle”. The spot for the memorial is yet to be identified.
Separatist leader Yasin Malik detained ahead of Article 35A hearing
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik was detained in Srinagar on Friday night, ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on Article 35A that is likely to take place on Monday. Malik, who is also part of Joint Resistance Leadership, was among the separatist leaders whose security was withdrawn recently. Several Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and members were also detained on Friday.
PV Sindhu 1st woman to co-pilot made-in-India Tejas fighter jet
Badminton player PV Sindhu has become the first woman to fly in made-in-India Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The 23-year-old co-piloted the aircraft as part of the Women’s Day observed at Aero India 2019 show in Bengaluru on Saturday. The homegrown aircraft was flown by Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Thursday, who hailed it as “wonderful aircraft”.
We will go by what govt, BCCI decide: Kohli on Pak-India WC match
Talking about the India-Pakistan World Cup match, Team India captain Virat Kohli said that the team will go by what the government and the BCCI decide. “Our stand is simple. We stick by what the nation wants to do,” he added. Various former players have called for boycotting the World Cup match against Pakistan after the Pulwama attack.
Centre airlifts forces to J&K after crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami
The Centre airlifted an additional hundred companies of paramilitary forces to Srinagar to boost security after J&K police detained Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and arrested several Jamaat-e-Islami workers in a late-night raid. The raid follows the Jaish-e-Mohammed led terror attack on CRPF convoys in Pulwama last week, in which 40 jawans were martyred.
Karachi Bakery in B’luru covers ‘Karachi’ on board, puts up Tricolour
A Karachi Bakery outlet in Bengaluru was forced to cover up the word ‘Karachi’ on its main name board on Friday, after a mob gathered in front of the bakery to protest the reference to Pakistan. The bakery staff also put up the Indian National Flag on their building. This comes days after the Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Dead woman beggar’s ₹6L donated to martyrs’ families as per ‘will’
Savings worth ₹6.6 lakh of a woman beggar named Nandini Sharma from Rajasthan’s Ajmer, who died last year, were donated to the families of CRPF jawans martyred in Pulwama terror attack. Sharma had left behind a ‘will’ that her savings be used for the nation and society. Her trustees handed a bank draft of the amount to the district collector.
Around 100 vehicles destroyed in fire at Aero India show parking lot
A fire broke out at the parking lot outside Aero India 2019 show at Air Force Station in Yelahanka near Bengaluru on Saturday. According to the fire department, around 100 vehicles were destroyed in the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown yet but it is suspected that dry grass caught fire because of a thrown cigarette butt.
Vietnam threatens to deport Trump, Kim Jong-un impersonators
Vietnam has threatened to deport Russell White and Howard X, the respective impersonators of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, ahead of the summit between the two leaders. They were detained after they staged a ‘meeting’ in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi. The police told the pair they could only travel with an approved itinerary and travel guide.
Goa Police nab Russian gang that grew cannabis, robbed ATMs
The Goa Police arrested a four-member Russian gang on Friday for allegedly growing cannabis in rented apartments and robbing ATM machines using gas cutters in North Goa. The police said drugs worth over ₹11 lakh, including cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine, were seized from their possession. Further, a car and a two-wheeler were also seized.
Stray dogs maul 3-year-old boy to death in Maharashtra
A three-year-old boy was mauled to death by stray dogs in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar, officials said on Saturday. The boy was attacked by a pack of five dogs when playing near his house and died on his way to a Pune hospital. Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation has announced an ex-gratia of ₹1 lakh for the boy’s family.
12L people availed free treatment under Ayushman Bharat: CEO
Ayushman Bharat CEO Indu Bhushan on Friday said that over 12 lakh people have received free treatment under the scheme since its launch in September 2018. He added that around two crore beneficiary e-cards have been issued since its inception. He further said that at least 15,000 hospitals have been enrolled under the scheme.
Largest Nutella plant temporarily stops production over quality issue
Italian confectioner Ferrero has temporarily stopped production at the biggest production plant of its Nutella spread in France’s Normandy region because of a quality issue. “We noticed a quality defect in a semi-finished product used in manufacturing Nutella and Kinder Bueno,” Ferrero said. The plant produces one-third of all the Nutella jars sold worldwide, according to the company’s website.
Dutch group ING exits Kotak Bank, sells 3% stake for ₹7,171 crore
Dutch financial services major ING Group sold its remaining 3.06% in Kotak Mahindra Bank for ₹7,171 crore on Friday. With ING’s exit, its nominee director on the bank’s board, Mark Newman, has resigned from his post. Following ING Vysya Bank’s merger with Kotak in 2015, ING Group held a 6.5% stake in the private lender, which it started reducing gradually.
Swaraj Guest of Honour at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meet
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will attend the 46th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in the UAE as the Guest of Honour. The UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, extended the invitation to Swaraj. The session will take place from March 1 to 2 in Abu Dhabi.
Death toll in Assam toxic liquor case rises to 84; 300 hospitalised
The number of people who have died of suspected alcohol poisoning in Assam since Thursday evening has risen to 84, said officials. Around 300 others have been hospitalised, while two people have been arrested and an inquiry has been ordered. It is suspected that brewers used methyl alcohol instead of ethyl alcohol in making a locally brewed liquor called ‘sulai’.
40 people arrested in West Bengal for attacking Kashmiris
As many as 40 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in 22 incidents of violence against Kashmiris in West Bengal, said the police. Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed Chief Secretaries and DGPs of all states and Union Territories to take “prompt and necessary” measures to prevent attacks on Kashmiris and other minorities.
Will give paramilitary forces ‘martyr’ status, if elected: Rahul
During an interaction with university students on Saturday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, “if we form the government, we will give the status of martyrs to those paramilitary soldiers” who are martyred in the line of duty. He added, “Casualties are more in the case of paramilitary forces but the… support given to them is less.”
Sri Lanka first ever Asian team to win Test series in South Africa
Sri Lanka defeated South Africa in the second Test at Port Elizabeth to complete a 2-0 series whitewash. With this, Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to win a Test series on South African soil. South Africa had emerged victorious in 19 of their previous 21 series against Asian teams at home, while two series ended in a draw.
Shooter Apurvi sets world record, wins India’s 1st gold at Delhi WC
Commonwealth Games 2014 gold medallist Apurvi Chandela broke the women’s 10m Air Rifle category world record to clinch India’s first gold medal at the New Delhi World Cup on Saturday. The 26-year-old finished with a total of 252.9 points, breaking the previous world record (252.4 points) achieved by China’s Ruozhu Zhao at Changwon World Cup in 2018.
Actively pursuing to put Masood Azhar on UN terror list: UK
The UK is actively pursuing to declare Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the United Nations (UN), the spokesperson of the British High Commission in India said. Dominic Asquith, the British High Commissioner to India, had earlier reaffirmed his country’s commitment to India, saying both the countries have suffered from terrorist attacks.
Year-long emergency declared in Sudan amid anti-govt protests
Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-long state of emergency and dissolved the central and the state governments amid the anti-government protests. The demonstrations, triggered by price rise and cash shortages, later developed into protests against Bashir’s rule. He has also asked the Parliament to postpone constitutional amendments that would allow him to run for another term.
Drug lord Pablo Escobar’s former home demolished in Colombia
Colombian authorities on Friday demolished the former home of drug lord Pablo Escobar in the city of Medellín. The ‘Monaco’ building was vacant since 1988 after the Escobar family abandoned it following a bombing. In its place, the government is planning to build a memorial park to honour the victims of his drug cartel’s crimes.
Banks to take 50.1% stake in Jet Airways for ₹1 under bailout plan
Jet Airways shareholders have approved a bailout plan, under which banks will take a 50.1% stake for ₹1 through the issuance of new shares. Founder-Chairman Naresh Goyal’s stake in the airline will reduce from 51% to around 25%. Jet plans to meet a funding gap of ₹8,500 crore through fresh equity infusion, debt restructuring, and sale and leaseback of aircraft.
Ex-Fiat CEO gets ₹383 crore in pay and perks for year he died
Italian-American carmaker Fiat Chrysler’s late CEO Sergio Marchionne received a total of $54 million (₹383 crore) in cash compensation, perks and shares in 2018, the year of his death. About $42 million of that came from shares granted under a long-term award. He was also paid a bonus of $5.2 million for 2017, and $2.3 million in salary.
Telcos with 4G networks will have to invest less in 5G: TRAI
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday, in a white paper titled ‘Enabling 5G in India’, said current 4G network operators would need lesser investment in 5G, as existing infrastructure can be used. A greenfield 5G operator will relatively need to deploy around 66% more sites. TRAI noted a delay in 5G spectrum auction will increase costs for telcos.
20 killed, 30 injured in China mine accident
At least 20 people were killed and 30 others were injured in a mine accident in China on Saturday when a vehicle transporting them underground experienced brake failure and lost control. According to a statement by the administration, 15 people died at the spot. A working team has been dispatched to guide and assist rescue and investigation at the site
US judge to scale Statue of Liberty before sentencing protestor
A US judge overseeing the case against a woman convicted of climbing the base of the Statue of Liberty will climb the monument himself before sentencing her. Therese Okoumou had scaled the statue to protest US immigration policies. Judge Gabriel Gorenstein said he wanted to climb the statue “to better appreciate the risks or hazards created by the defendant’s conduct”.
2 killed, 17 injured in clashes at Venezuela-Brazil border
At least two people were killed and 17 others were injured in clashes at Venezuela’s border with Brazil, authorities said. Venezuelan security forces opened fire on a group of civilians who tried to prevent them from blocking the border. President Nicolás Maduro has closed the country’s border with Brazil amid a row over the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Cut palm oil tariffs in return for sugar imports: Indonesia to India
Indonesia has asked India to cut its tariff on refined palm oil and has offered market access for Indian raw sugar in exchange. Indonesia asked for a 5 percentage point cut in India’s import tax to match the 45% tariff faced by rival producer Malaysia. Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s biggest producers of palm oil.
