China strangling others like anaconda wrapping meal: US
The US has said China is ‘strangling the sovereignty of other nations like an anaconda enwrapping its next meal’ by providing unfavourable deals under Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “China’s modus operandi preys off nations’ financial vulnerabilities,” Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said. China aims to create its own globally decisive naval force through BRI, he added.
Enjoy being with Kim Jong-un: Trump on potential 3rd summit
On being asked about the idea of a potential third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, US President Donald Trump said, “I enjoy the summits, I enjoy being with the chairman.” Trump added that the sanctions on North Korea should remain in place but he opposed bringing in any new punitive measures on the regime.
7 dead, 9 injured as minibus collides with lorry in Andhra
At least seven people were killed and nine others were injured after a minibus collided with a lorry on National Highway 42 in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district on Friday. The injured were rushed to a nearby government hospital for treatment. The driver of the bus is currently absconding and a case has been filed against him.
UP pollution board gets notice over illegally running plant
The National Green Tribunal on Friday issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board asking it to report on actions taken against Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Plant operating illegally in Bareilly. NGT’s judicial member Justice RS Rathore slated the matter for hearing on April 26. The petitioner’s advocate had stated that the plant was operating without a No Objection Certificate.
Cure.fit to invest ₹35 crore across 10 healthy food startups
Bengaluru-based health and fitness startup Cure.fit has launched an incubator program to invest nearly ₹35 crore ($5 million) across up to 10 healthy food startups under its Eat.fit business. Cure.fit was founded in 2016 by Myntra Co-founder Mukesh Bansal and former Flipkart executive Ankit Nagori. The startup had last raised $120 million in Series C funding round in 2018.
Travel stories sharing platform Tripoto raises ₹25 crore
New Delhi-based travel community platform Tripoto has raised ₹25 crore in a Series B round of funding from Orchid India, Chiratae Ventures, 3one4 Capital among others. Tripoto Co-founder and CEO Anirudh Gupta revealed the startup is in the process to raise more funds in this round. Founded in 2013, Tripoto currently offers a platform to share crowdsourced travel stories.
Won’t let Nagpur rule TN, Stalin will be next CM: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that he would never let people of Tamil Nadu to be ruled by Nagpur, a reference to the RSS headquarters in the city. He added that Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin will be Tamil Nadu’s next CM. Congress is fighting Lok Sabha polls in alliance with DMK in Tamil Nadu.
Chelsea, Liverpool condemn fans’ racist song about Salah
EPL clubs Chelsea and Liverpool posted statements condemning discriminatory behaviour after a video showed supporters singing in an apparent derogatory reference to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. The statements have come after three Chelsea fans were stopped from entering Slavia Prague’s stadium for Chelsea’s Europa League game after an alleged racist chant about Salah circulated on social media.
Retail inflation hits 5-month high, below RBI target for 8th month
India’s annual retail inflation climbed to a five-month high of 2.86% in March from 2.57% in February, government data showed on Friday. The inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) still remained within RBI’s medium-term target of 4% for the eighth straight month. Food prices surged 0.30% from a year earlier in March, following five consecutive months of declines.
Man slits arm in Supreme Court premises for unknown reason
An unidentified man slit his arm near his elbow in the premises of the Supreme Court on Friday. The people present at the spot rushed to help the man and immediately tied his injured hand with a handkerchief to stop the bleeding. The reason behind the act is yet to be ascertained.
SC halts ArcelorMittal’s ₹42,000 crore payment for Essar Steel
The Supreme Court on Friday stopped ArcelorMittal from making a ₹42,000-crore payment to lenders to buy Essar Steel. The ruling came in response to petitions by banks, which are fighting over how the money received from the company’s sale should be distributed. The apex court directed the bankruptcy appellate tribunal to decide on appeals in the Essar Steel case expeditiously.
Indian-origin man jailed in Singapore over Diwali fireworks
Jeevan Arjoon, a 29-year-old Indian-origin man was jailed for three weeks in Singapore and fined S$5,000 for illegally setting off fireworks on Diwali last year. He was also found guilty of lying to police after he claimed that a man named Michael had bought the fireworks. Arjoon had taken Michael’s name as he felt Michael told the police about him.
India ASAT test was over concerns of space threats: Top US General
India conducted the anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test due to concerns about the threats it faces in space and therefore, they feel they have to have a capability to defend themselves, Commander of US Strategic Command, General John Hyten, said. His statement comes after the US’ space agency NASA expressed concerns about the orbital debris generated by the test.
Ousted Uber Co-founder Kalanick could make $8.6 billion from IPO
Uber Co-founder Travis Kalanick could make about $8.6 billion from the company’s initial public offering (IPO) expected in May. Kalanick owns 8.6% of Uber’s pre-IPO shares and the company is expected to be valued between $90-100 billion in the IPO. Following investor pressure, Kalanick had resigned as CEO in 2017 after complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination at the company.
Disney India head Abhishek Maheshwari quits, joins Byju’s
World’s most valuable edtech firm Byju’s has appointed Disney India head Abhishek Maheshwari as the startup’s International Business President. Maheshwari, an IIT Delhi and Columbia Business School alumnus, had joined The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Last valued at nearly $5.4 billion, Byju’s presently stands behind Flipkart, Paytm, and Ola as per current valuations of homegrown startups.
SpaceX wins NASA contract for 1st-ever mission to deflect asteroid
NASA has selected Elon Musk-led SpaceX to provide launch services for the first-ever mission to demonstrate the capability to deflect an asteroid by hitting it with a high-speed spacecraft. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is targetted to launch in June 2021 on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. NASA revealed the total cost to launch DART is approximately $69 million.
Man travels 7,000km to create ‘Marry Me’ art, Google shares his story
In order to propose his girlfriend, a Japanese man planned a route across the country that spelled “Marry Me” and presented his completed trip on Google Earth as his proposal. Yasushi Takahashi, whose story was shared by Google, travelled over 7,000 kilometres to complete the GPS art. The proposal landed him Guinness World Record for largest GPS drawing in history.
SoftBank stands to double its $7.7 billion stake in Uber IPO
SoftBank Vision Fund’s 16.3% stake in Uber could be worth at least double the $7.7 billion it paid for the stake a year ago. Uber is reported to seek a valuation of between $90-120 billion for its IPO, putting SoftBank’s share between $15 billion and $20 billion. Uber revealed 2018 revenues of $11.3 billion in its IPO filing on Thursday.
If AAP agrees for alliance in Delhi, we’re ready even today: Cong
Congress today said that it is ready even today if AAP is ready for an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections. “AAP wanted to have an alliance in other states also which is not practical. Every state is different,” Congress leader PC Chacko said. “The political necessity is that we should come together and defeat BJP,” he added.
Chahar convinces Dhoni to review, CSK captain takes last second DRS
CSK captain MS Dhoni opted for DRS in last second after RR captain Ajinkya Rahane was hit on pads off pacer Deepak Chahar’s delivery in the third over. The 26-year-old pacer convinced Dhoni, who seemed hesitant to take the review, after on-field umpire declared it not out. Rahane was given out after replays showed the ball was hitting the stumps.
Dhoni jokingly pats Jadeja’s helmet with bat after he refuses to run
CSK captain MS Dhoni jokingly patted Ravindra Jadeja’s helmet with his bat multiple times after he refused to run on the last over’s first ball against RR. Jadeja hit an aerial shot after which he fell and continued to look towards the ball. Dhoni reached the striker’s end and patted Jadeja’s helmet after the ball successfully went for a six.
The more Congress insults me, harder I will work in Amethi: Irani
Union Minister Smriti Irani has said “in the last 5 years, I have been attacked in every possible manner. I only have one message…the more you will insult me…harder I will work against Congress in Amethi.” Earlier in the day, Congress’ Priyanka Chaturvedi sang “Kyunki mantri bhi kabhi graduate thi” after Irani declared she’s not a graduate in poll affidavit.
1st human to go into space Yuri Gagarin died in a MiG crash
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who became the first human to go into space on April 12, 1961, died while test-piloting a MiG fighter plane in 1968. Documents declassified in 2011 revealed “one of the probable reasons” for the crash was a sharp manoeuvre to avoid a weather balloon following which Gagarin and co-pilot Vladimir Seryogin lost control of the aircraft.
Russia honours PM Narendra Modi with its highest civilian award
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the decree to award Prime Minister Narendra Modi the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the highest civilian award of the country. PM Modi has been honoured for exceptional services in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India. Earlier, the UAE awarded PM Narendra Modi the Zayed Medal.
Lara spent 13 hours, faced 97 overs to hit record 400* runs
Windies’ legend Brian Lara spent almost 13 hours at the crease and faced 97 overs (582 balls) during his world record Test innings of 400* against England which ended on April 12, 2004. Lara broke ex-Australian batsman Matthew Hayden’s record of 380 and went past his personal best of 375. Lara hit 43 fours and four sixes during his knock.
He made a fauji out of a boy: SRK on demise of ‘Fauji’ director
Shah Rukh Khan shared a post on Twitter following the demise of Raj Kumar Kapoor, who directed the actor’s debut television show ‘Fauji’ in 1988. “[T]oday if I’m used to being mollycoddled on sets it’s because of this man who made a ‘Fauji’ out of a boy,” Shah Rukh tweeted. Kapoor passed away on Thursday at the age of 87.
Nepal bans PUBG over ‘negative impact on children’
Nepal has banned online multiplayer game PUBG saying its “violent content had a negative impact on children”, as per Reuters. The country’s telecom regulator further directed all internet service providers, mobile operators, and network service providers to block the streaming of the game from Thursday onwards. Earlier, several cities in Gujarat had imposed a ban on playing PUBG.
Hitler would have loved social media: Disney CEO
Disney CEO Bob Iger on Thursday blamed social media for spreading hate, saying it creates a false sense that everyone shares the same opinion and that Hitler would have loved it. “It’s the most powerful marketing tool an extremist could ever hope for. At its worst, social media allows evil to prey on troubled minds and lost souls,” Iger added.
How about paying your taxes? Walmart responds to Amazon’s pay dare
After Jeff Bezos challenged retailers to match Amazon’s $15 minimum hourly wage, Walmart’s Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs Dan Bartlett responded to it. “Hey retail competitors out there (you know who you are) how about paying your taxes?” Bartlett tweeted. Notably, Amazon paid zero US federal income tax on more than $11 billion in profits before taxes in 2018.
Scrap collection startup The Kabadiwala raises ₹3 crore
Bhopal-based online scrap collection startup The Kabadiwala has raised about ₹3 crore in funding. The investment saw participation from angel investors including Unilever Supply Chain Director Naveen Reddy, Beehive Capital Advisors Founder Bhushan Gajaria among others. Founded in 2013 by Anurag Asati and Kavindra Raghuwanshi, The Kabadiwala offers doorstep service to sell junk and scrap items.
Uber files for IPO, warns it ‘may not achieve profitability’
Uber on Thursday unveiled its IPO filing, saying the company expects operating expenses to “increase significantly in the foreseeable future” and it “may not achieve profitability”. Reuters reported Uber could be valued between $90-100 billion after a stock sale worth $10 billion. Founded in 2009, the company lost $1.8 billion in 2018, the first full year under CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Astronaut’s 7% gene expression changed when twin was on Earth: NASA
NASA has revealed final results of its Twins Study, wherein astronaut Scott Kelly spent 340 days on the space station while his brother Mark stayed on Earth. Scott’s body witnessed several physiological and cellular changes and 7% of his gene expression didn’t revert to original even six months after his return. However, Scott and Mark remain identical twins, NASA said.
You won’t let nation stay in peace: SC junks plea of puja at Ayodhya
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking permission to perform ‘puja’ at the undisputed part of the 67.7 acres land in Ayodhya. “You’ll never let this country remain in peace. There will always be something,” Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi told the petitioner. The court also refused to withdraw Allahabad High Court order, imposing a ₹5-lakh penalty on the petitioner.
Trump a ‘toxic coward of a President’: Pamela on Assange’s arrest
Calling Donald Trump a “toxic coward of a President” following arrest of WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange, whom she was rumoured to be dating, Pamela Anderson said, “Assange’s a hero.” The 51-year-old actress blogged about Assange and made several trips to the Ecuadorean embassy in London during his seven-year stay there. Meanwhile, Trump said he doesn’t have opinion on Assange’s arrest.
Sindhu reaches Singapore Open semis, Saina crashes out
Fourth seed PV Sindhu reached the semi-final of the Singapore Open 2019 Super 500 tournament on Friday after beating Chinese teenager Cai Yanyan, while Saina Nehwal crashed out after losing against second seed Nozomi Okuhara. India’s sixth-seeded shuttler Kidambi Srikanth is set to face Japan’s Kento Momota in the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
Google’s Chief Diversity Officer quits within 2 years
Google’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Danielle Brown has quit the technology giant within 2 years, after joining the role in June 2017. Brown revealed she has joined US-based payroll, benefits and HR technology startup Gusto as its Chief People Officer. “I look forward to a future where work empowers a better life for all small businesses,” she said.
WikiLeaks not my thing: Trump after Julian Assange’s arrest
Following the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, US President Donald Trump said that he doesn’t know anything about the whistleblowing organisation, adding “it’s not my thing”. Trump has in the past repeatedly praised WikiLeaks, particularly after it leaked emails of his presidential opponent Hillary Clinton, her campaign members and the Democratic Party.
Raj Kumar Kapoor, director of SRK’s debut TV show, dies at 87
Actor-director Raj Kumar Kapoor, who directed Shah Rukh Khan’s debut television show ‘Fauji’ in 1988, passed away on Thursday at the age of 87. “He was in hospital for sometime, but his death was…sudden. He was otherwise in good health,” the director’s daughter Ritambhara said. Kapoor had pursued a career in the entertainment industry after retiring from the army.
Pak took 40 days to take journos, can do whitewashing: Sitharaman
Talking about Pakistan taking media persons to Balakot, where Indian Air Force destroyed terror camps, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “They needed 40 days to take select journalists.” Adding that Pakistan took the journalists to a madrassa which wasn’t attacked and wasn’t even IAF’s target, Sitharaman stated, “They can do the necessary whitewashing…take as many people as they want.”
