No opening ceremony in IPL; BCCI donates ₹20cr to CRPF, armed forces
After cancelling the opening ceremony for IPL 2019 following the Pulwama attack, the BCCI today donated ₹20 crore to CRPF and armed forces. ₹11 crore has been donated to the Army, ₹7 crore to CRPF and ₹1 crore each to the Navy and Air Force. “The national interest is of utmost importance to us,” CoA’s Lt General Ravi Thodge said.
CSK win IPL 2019 opener as 10 of 11 RCB batsmen score below 10
Chennai Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 7 wickets in the Indian Premier League 2019 opener at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday to register their seventh straight victory against the Bengaluru-based side. RCB were bowled out for 70, their joint-second lowest total in the Indian Premier League, with 10 of their 11 players scoring in single-digits.
Raina first ever cricketer to score 5,000 runs in IPL history
Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Raina has become the first ever cricketer to reach 5,000 runs in Indian Premier League. The 32-year-old left-handed batsman achieved the feat after scoring 15 runs in the IPL 2019 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday. RCB captain Virat Kohli is the second highest run-scorer in IPL, with 4,954 runs in 156 IPL innings.
Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor named Best Actress, Actor at Filmfare 2019
Alia Bhatt on Saturday won the Best Actress award at Filmfare Awards 2019 for her role in ‘Raazi’, clinching the Filmfare top actress trophy for the second time. Ranbir Kapoor was named the Best Actor for portraying Sanjay Dutt in ‘Sanju’. Meanwhile, ‘Raazi’ won the award for the Best Film, while its director Meghna Gulzar was named the Best Director.
6 drown while bathing after Holi celebrations in Odisha
At least six people, including a seven-year-old boy, drowned while bathing after playing Holi in different parts of Odisha, police said. The reports of drowning came from the districts of Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Balangir and Sundargarh. Meanwhile, at least eight people were injured in a clash between two groups during Holi celebrations in Bhubaneswar.
Man moves Bombay HC to ban phrase ‘Alibaug se aaya hai kya?’
A man from Maharashtra’s Alibaug has moved the Bombay High Court, seeking a ban on the phrase, ‘Alibaug se aaya hai kya?’ The phrase is used commonly in Maharashtra to address someone who is considered “foolish” or naive, the petitioner said. The phrase is “unfair” and “humiliating” as it projects people of Alibaug as “illiterates”, the petitioner added.
Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani booked under FEMA
Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has been booked under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for illegally possessing foreign exchange of $10,000 (over ₹6.9 lakh). Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate had confiscated the money from his premises in Jammu and Kashmir. The ED had also imposed a penalty of ₹14.4 lakh on Geelani.
Scientists cure alcoholism in rats by firing lasers on brains
Scripps Research scientists claim firing lasers at specific neurons in alcohol-addicted rat brains ended their desire to drink and reduced physical symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal. However, the addiction symptoms came back when the lasers were turned off. “This work requires the use of cutting-edge technologies that are not approved to be used in humans yet,” scientists added.
CERN experiment hints why universe has more matter than antimatter
In a first, scientists at CERN have observed the matter–antimatter asymmetry called CP violation in a D0 meson, discovered over 40 years ago. CP refers to swapping of a particle with its antiparticle’s mirror image while an asymmetry in the two is called a CP violation. Such asymmetries may explain the abundance of matter over antimatter in the present-day universe.
Voting for YSRCP like writing own death warrant: Andhra CM
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that voting for the YSR Congress Party is like “writing your own death warrant”. “People should vote for TDP for better future and better development of the state,” he added. Naidu further accused YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of “looting” lakhs and crores of money.
Finland to probe if Nokia-branded phones sent data to China
Finland officials will probe whether Nokia-branded phones breached data rules after reports claimed some phones sent data to Chinese servers. Nokia-branded phones are manufactured under license by Finnish startup HMD Global, which claimed there had been an error in software packaging process in single batch of one device model. It added no personal information was shared with any third party.
Madras HC rejects plea seeking poll date change in Madurai
The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition seeking change in the election date in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai in view of the Chithirai festival. On Thursday, EC informed the HC that it couldn’t change dates as it would have a “cascading effect” on election schedule. However, the EC has decided to extend the voting time in Madurai by two hours.
BJP’s Sambit Patra to contest Lok Sabha polls from Puri
The BJP on Friday released its third list of candidates with 36 names for the Lok Sabha elections. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra will contest elections from the Odisha’s Puri constituency. The third list has names of 23 candidates from Andhra Pradesh, six from Maharashtra, five from Odisha, and one each from Assam and Meghalaya.
Kangana to play former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa in biopic
Kangana Ranaut will star in late actress and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s biopic, titled ‘Thalaivi’, which will be directed by filmmaker AL Vijay. “Jayalalithaa…is one of the biggest female success stories of this century…I’m honoured to be part of this mega project,” Kangana said in a statement. The movie will be written by KV Vijayendra Prasad.
Rapper Cardi B sues bloggers for drugs, prostitution claims
American rapper Cardi B has filed defamation lawsuits against two bloggers for allegedly claiming that she is engaged in prostitution and drug abuse. The lawsuit also lists videos shared by the bloggers, in which they claim that the rapper suffers from sexually transmitted diseases. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to delete the defamatory videos shared by the bloggers.
GVK raises stake in Mumbai airport to 74%, buys 10% for ₹924 crore
GVK Airport Holdings on Friday said it is acquiring ACSA Global’s entire 10% stake in Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) for ₹924 crore, thereby taking its holding in the company to 74%. This comes less than a month after GVK Airport exercised its right of first refusal to acquire South African firm Bidvest Group’s 13.5% stake in MIAL for ₹1,247.4 crore.
Indian in Canada gets 8-yr jail for truck-bus crash that killed 16
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, a 30-year-old Indian truck driver in Canada, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday after his vehicle crashed into a junior hockey team bus killing 16 people last year. His truck ran through a stop sign and into the bus’ path at an intersection. Sidhu pleaded guilty to 29 counts of dangerous driving in January.
Indian man gets jail, caning for throwing plank during S’pore riot
An Indian national has been sentenced to over five years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane in Singapore for swinging a wooden plank during a riot. Yadwinder Singh had hit two men with the plank, injuring one man’s scalp and face. He had been jailed previously for rioting and unlawful assembly and committed this offence while on remission.
12-year-old held hostage, killed by LeT militants in J&K
Two Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba militants killed a 12-year-old boy whom they had held hostage in Jammu and Kashmir’s Hajin, the police said. The police and Army had launched an operation and, through local village elders, repeatedly appealed the militants to release the boy. However, the militants killed the boy, while the security forces killed the militants soon after.
Pak PM says PM Modi wrote to him on Pak National Day, shares message
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Friday said that PM Narendra Modi wrote to him extending wishes to Pakistanis for the National Day of Pakistan. “Received message from PM Modi: ‘…It is time that people of Sub-continent work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive and prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence’,” Khan tweeted.
Chargesheet filed against Hafiz Saeed’s FIF for terror activities
The National Investigation Agency has filed a fresh chargesheet against Pakistan-based Falah-i-Insaniyat (FIF) for terror activities in India. The NIA said, “Chief of the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, along with the Deputy Chief Shahid Mahmood, hatched a conspiracy from 2012 to create sleeper cells and logistic bases in New Delhi and Haryana.”
Jaguar wins case against Chinese firm selling copycat of Evoque
Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover has won a landmark case against China’s Jiangling Motors which was selling a copycat of its Range Rover Evoque model. A court ruled that all sales and production of Jiangling’s Landwind must stop immediately and Jaguar Land Rover be paid compensation. It said that Landwind had five specific features that were directly copied from Evoque.
This is unfortunate: Ola on 6-month ban in Bengaluru
Responding to a six-month ban on its operation of all vehicles including cars, bikes and autos in Bengaluru, ride-hailing startup Ola said, “This notification is unfortunate, and we look forward to an opportunity to address these concerns directly with state officials to find a solution.” “Ola is a law-abiding company…We’re evaluating all options to find an amicable solution,” it added.
Stage collapses at BJP’s Holi event in UP, party leaders injured
A stage collapsed while BJP leaders were addressing the people during the ‘Holi milan’ programme organised by the party in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal on Friday. The incident’s video shows a leader was giving a speech when the stage suddenly collapsed with several people on it. Party leaders including BJP Kisan Morcha’s Avdesh Yadav were among the injured in the incident.
Malinga to miss MI’s first six IPL 2019 matches over WC squad spot
Pacer Lasith Malinga has ruled himself out of the first six IPL matches for Mumbai Indians in order to qualify for the Sri Lanka World Cup squad. Sri Lanka selectors have told the players they would have to play in the domestic one-day tournament if they want to be considered. The domestic tournament will run from April 6 to 11.
Gambhir not a Pak sympathiser like ‘another cricketer’: Jaitley
Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday took an apparent dig on Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu while introducing Gautam Gambhir during his induction into BJP. “From our old experience, we saw another cricketer who has now become an overt Pakistani sympathiser, with Gambhir we know at least he won’t go that route,” Jaitley said.
111 TN farmers to contest against PM Modi in Varanasi in elections
As many as 111 Tamil Nadu farmers will contest against PM Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha elections from the Varanasi constituency. Tamil Nadu farmers’ leader P Ayyakannu said the decision was taken to urge the BJP to include in their manifesto that their demands would be fulfilled. He added if BJP assures them, they will not fight against him.
Dhoni presents ticket proceeds worth ₹2 cr to CRPF on behalf of CSK
Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni presented a cheque of ₹2 crore to the CRPF on the behalf of his team ahead of the IPL 2019 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday. The amount was derived from entire ticket sales of today’s match. Earlier, BCCI donated ₹20 crore to the CRPF and armed forces.
AI is like nuclear tech, both dangerous and promising: Bill Gates
Speaking at the launch of Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, Bill Gates compared AI with nuclear technology. “The world hasn’t had that many technologies that are both promising and dangerous. We had nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, and so far so good,” Gates said. He added his foundation is experimenting with AI to identify causes of malnutrition in Africa.
Mehbooba Mufti to contest Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag
Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will be the PDP candidate from Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency. “The Party will not contest Jammu and Udhampur Lok Sabha seats in the larger interest of the state, so the secular votes don’t get divided,” Mufti said. Further, Aga Mohsin will be the PDP candidate from Srinagar.
Smuggled orangutan found inside passenger’s luggage at Bali airport
A Russian man has been arrested in Bali on suspicion of trying to smuggle a young orangutan out of Indonesia. The two-year-old male orangutan, who was found in a suitcase at the airport, appeared to have been drugged, officials said. Two geckos and five lizards were also found in the Russian man’s suitcase.
Asian homes targeted for gold robberies in UK: Report
Gold jewellery worth over £140 million was stolen in the UK from Asian families over the past five years, a Freedom of Information request by the BBC revealed. Nearly 28,000 thefts of ‘Asian gold’ have been recorded since 2013. It’s the first time a comprehensive figure revealing the extent of thefts of ‘Asian gold’ in the UK has been collated.
26 killed, 28 injured as bus catches fire in China
At least 26 people were killed and 28 others were injured after a bus caught fire in China’s Hunan province on Friday, the local authorities said. There were 56 people on board the bus, including 53 passengers, two drivers and a tour guide. The two drivers were detained and an investigation was underway.
Royal Enfield to set up Thailand assembly unit, first outside India
Eicher Motors-owned premium motorcycle maker Royal Enfield has announced it’s forming a wholly-owned subsidiary in Thailand and setting up its first assembly plant there. The new production line will be its first outside India and the subsidiary will be its first in the Asia-Pacific region. The plant is expected to commence operations by June 2019, the Siddhartha Lal-led company said.
Arrested Huawei CFO was carrying iPhone, iPad, MacBook
Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested last December in Canada, was carrying an iPhone 7 Plus, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air, Bloomberg said citing court documents. However, the Canadian police also seized a Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Edition phone, the only Huawei product on her apart from the rival company’s devices, at the time of arrest.
Trump orders withdrawal of additional sanctions against N Korea
US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of additional sanctions against North Korea, with officials saying he was referring to future sanctions. “President Trump likes Chairman Kim [Jong-un] and he doesn’t think these sanctions will be necessary,” the White House said. This comes after the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two Chinese firms for illegally trading with North Korea.
Vice Admiral Karambir Singh appointed next Chief of Naval Staff
The government has appointed Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Chief of Naval Staff. Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is the current Chief of Naval Staff, will vacate the office on May 31. Vice Admiral Karambir Singh was commissioned into the Navy in 1980 and has been honoured with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
Burj Khalifa lit up with NZ PM image, pays tribute to attack victims
The UAE on Friday projected New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern’s image on the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest structure in Dubai. The picture shows Ardern hugging a victim’s family member. UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also thanked the New Zealand Prime Minister for the “sincere empathy” towards Muslims after the terror attack on mosques last week.
US airline pilots accused of drugging, raping flight attendants
Two pilots of US-based JetBlue Airways have been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting three female flight attendants during a layover in Puerto Rico last year. The two flight attendants, in a lawsuit, claimed they met the pilots on a beach and the accused offered them drug-laced beer. One woman has also accused them of infecting her with an STD.
GVK raises stake in Mumbai airport to 74%, buys 10% for ₹924 crore
GVK Airport Holdings on Friday said it is acquiring ACSA Global’s entire 10% stake in Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) for ₹924 crore, thereby taking its holding in the company to 74%. This comes less than a month after GVK Airport exercised its right of first refusal to acquire South African firm Bidvest Group’s 13.5% stake in MIAL for ₹1,247.4 crore.
