Current News Snippets

02-11-2019

Delhi govt changes timings for offices during odd-even

Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has changed the government offices timings during the odd-even scheme from November 4-15. As per the order, timings for 21 government departments will be 9:30 am-6 pm and for other 21, it’ll be 10:30 am-7 pm. Women, persons with disabilities, SC & HC judges, two-wheelers, vehicles with school kids have been exempted from odd-even rule.

Bahrain’s Investcorp puts ₹80 cr in Kerala food firm Intergrow

Bahrain-based alternative asset manager Investcorp has invested nearly ₹80 crore in Kerala-based food and beverages firm Intergrow Brands, a subsidiary of spice producer Synthite Group. Intergrow makes products like packaged spices, marinades, sauces, seasonings, tea and ready-to-cook products. It operates under the labels Kitchen Treasures, Sprig and Vieda.

Naukri parent invests ₹7.06 crore in test prep platform Adda247

Noida-based Info Edge India, which operates job portal Naukri, has invested ₹7.06 crore to acquire a 7.06% stake in edtech startup Adda247. Founded in 2016 by Anil Nagar and Saurabh Bansal, Adda247 is an online preparation platform for government and public-sector exams, offering video courses, live classes and mock tests. It claims to have more than 40 million users.

Facebook sues domain name registrar over cybersquatting URLs

Facebook has filed a lawsuit against domain name registrar OnlineNIC and its proxy service ID Shield for cybersquatting domain names and trademark infringement, seeking $2 million in damages. It accused them of registering 20 domain names that pretend to be associated with Facebook to intentionally mislead users. The domains were allegedly involved in phishing and purported sale of hacking tools.

Australia complete three-match T20I sweep over Sri Lanka

Australia beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets on Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to complete a lopsided three-match T20I series victory. Sri Lanka, who were sent into bat first, scored 142-6 before Australia overtook that total with 145-3 with 14 balls to spare. Warner, who scored 217 in the three matches, was named Man of the Series.

Indian women beat USA 5-1 in 1st leg of 2-match FIH Qualifier

The Indian women’s hockey team moved a step towards Olympic qualification with a 5-1 win over USA in the first-leg of the two-match FIH Qualifier in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Dragflicker Gurjit Kaur (42nd and 51st minute) struck a brace while Lilima Minz (28th), Sharmila Devi (40th) and Navneet Kaur (46th) were the other scorers for India.

Hyderabad declared ‘Creative City’ in gastronomy category by UNESCO

Hyderabad has been adjudged as ‘Creative City’ in gastronomy category by the UNESCO on Thursday. Hyderabad is one of the two cities from India, among the total 66 creative cities selected by the UNESCO across the globe. The other city from India, Mumbai, has been selected as a ‘Creative City’ for its contribution to the world of films.

Those who spread negativity don’t have anything better to do: Rakul

Actress Rakul Preet Singh has said she doesn’t really pay attention to trolls and added that her happiness does not belong to a “third party”. “Those who spread negativity don’t have anything better to do in their lives,” Rakul further said. She was earlier trolled for smoking on screen for a Telugu film and for flaunting unzipped pants and bralette.

Bag that was suspected to have RDX claimed by man; had toys, clothes

The unattended bag, which had tested positive for carrying RDX by CISF at Delhi international airport, was claimed by a passenger on Friday. Police informed that the man from Haryana said he unintentionally left the bag, following which CISF checked its contents and found clothes, chocolate, earrings, charger, and toys in it. The bag was checked in a cooling pit.

Woman allegedly kills self after asked to abandon her dog, leaves note

A 24-year-old Tamil Nadu woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a fan in her room after her father told her to leave her pet dog. Her neighbours had complained to her father about the dog’s continuous barking. Police recovered a letter purportedly written by her, asking her family to look after her dog “as all should live peacefully”.

All writers at US website quit after being ordered to ‘stick to sports’

All the writers and editors at popular US website Deadspin have resigned after its new owner G/O Media ordered them to “stick to sports”. The mass resignations came after Deadspin’s interim editor-in-chief Barry Petchesky was fired for not obeying that order. While Deadspin has traditionally focused on sports, its writers have also written about politics, food and pop culture.

Reality TV star invites man to her home, assaults him and demands money

Australian reality TV star Suzi Taylor invited her Tinder date to her home and allegedly demanded money from him, shortly after midnight on Wednesday. When he refused to pay, another man allegedly entered the room and assaulted the 33-year-old victim. Taylor and the other man have been arrested and charged with extortion, assault, deprivation of liberty and other offences.

2 female elephants found dead in Assam’s Dibrugarh

Two wild female elephants were found dead in a paddy field in a village in Assam’s Dibrugarh. No injuries were reportedly found on their bodies and it is suspected that electrocution might’ve been the cause of death. Some villagers found the carcasses of the elephants on Friday morning after which forest officials and veterinary doctors arrived.

BJP’s threat to impose President’s rule is like Mughal’s diktat: Sena

Amid disagreements over power-sharing after Assembly elections, Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said that BJP’s threat to impose President’s rule in Maharashtra is “like Mughal’s diktat”. “The President is the highest…he isn’t in anybody’s pocket,” Sena said. This comes after a BJP leader said that Maharashtra may have President’s rule if new government isn’t formed by November 7.

Michael Jackson named highest-paid dead celeb by Forbes at ₹424 cr

Late singer Michael Jackson has been named the highest-paid dead celebrity for the seventh consecutive year by Forbes. Jackson, who died in 2009, topped the list with the earnings of $60 million (₹424 crore). The list also featured Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed this year, at the 10th spot with the earnings of $11 million (₹77 crore).

Income Tax Department cancels registration of six Tata trusts

The Income Tax Department has cancelled the registration of six Tata trusts on October 31 following their decision to surrender the same voluntarily in 2015 and not claim the associated tax exemptions. The trusts, however, contended that the cancellation should take effect from 2015. The trusts also clarified they have not received a tax demand notice after the cancellation order.

‘Sawasdee PM Modi’ being organised in Thailand after ‘Howdy Modi’ in US

‘Sawasdee PM Modi’ event is being organised by Thai Indians in coordination with the Indian Embassy in Bangkok. This comes after the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in US’ Houston, which was attended by more than 50,000 people on September 23. PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Thailand to participate in ASEAN, East Asia, and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership summits.

Apple seeks US tariff waiver on China-made iPhone parts, AirPods

Apple is seeking tariff waiver from the Trump administration on China-made Apple Watches, AirPods, iPhone components and other consumer products, regulatory filings revealed. The technology giant sought tariff exclusions from 11 products on Thursday and the public has until November 14 to submit comments on the requests. The exclusions seek relief from 15% tariffs that took effect on September 1.

Goldman Sachs gave $10 bn in credit for Apple Card in 1st month

American investment firm Goldman Sachs extended $10 billion in credit lines in the quarter ending September towards its partner Apple’s credit card ‘Apple Card’, regulatory filings revealed. The time frame marked roughly over a month’s time since Apple Card was launched on August 20. The iPhone-linked Apple Card can be used either through Apple Pay or a titanium card.

Germany to earmark ₹1,600 crore to reform bus sector in Tamil Nadu

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is on a three-day visit to India, on Saturday said €200 million (around ₹1,600 crore) will be earmarked to reform the bus sector in Tamil Nadu. She added that Germany has also earmarked €1 billion towards the Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility. Merkel further emphasised on need of replacing diesel buses with electric buses.

Saudi Crown Prince approves Aramco IPO announcement: Reports

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday approved the announcement of state-run oil company Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO) on November 3, reports said. Company officials and advisers reportedly held last-minute meetings with investors to achieve close to a $2-trillion valuation. Aramco plans to list 1-2% stake on the Saudi stock exchange, to raise around $20-40 billion.

Pak Opp’n sets 2-day deadline for Imran Khan govt to step down

Pakistan’s opposition demanded on Friday that PM Imran Khan and his administration resign within two days at a rally reportedly attended by thousands of people. The opposition claimed PM Khan’s government is illegitimate and is being propped up by the military, while the military denied meddling in politics. The protest is led by Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl party chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.

UP govt allots ₹447 crore for digital museum, statue of Lord Ram

Uttar Pradesh government on Friday allotted ₹447.46 crore for building a digital museum on Lord Ram in Ayodhya. The money will also be used for acquiring 61 hectares of land in Ayodhya for building a 251-metre high statue of Lord Ram. The allotted amount will be further used for beautification of Ayodhya, constructing interpretation centre, library and other tourism facilities.

Indian sand artist to receive Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019

Sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has been selected for the Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019. He will be honoured at the International Scorrana Sand Nativity in Italy scheduled to be held from November 13 to 18. As many as eight sculptors will participate in this festival and Pattnaik will represent India at the event.

Agra to host first-ever Global Taj International Film Festival

Agra will host the first-ever Global Taj International Film Festival from November 15-17 and films from around 10 countries will be showcased at the festival. The final screening will have films from India and six other countries, festival director Suraj Tiwari said. It’ll be inaugurated by Raza Murad and the opening speech will be delivered by Dadasaheb Phalke’s grandson Chandrashekhar.

China wins WTO case to impose $3.6 billion in new tariffs on US

A WTO panel has cleared China to impose levies on American goods worth $3.6 billion annually in a case that predates the current trade war. China argued that US anti-dumping duties on steel and other products were illegally inflated. The damages, the third-highest awarded in WTO history, are about half of what China had sought.

We need a new attempt for an EU-India free trade pact: Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said there was a need for a fresh attempt to restart talks on finalising a free trade agreement between India and the European Union. “We were already close once,” said Merkel, who is in India. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in Europe and over 1,700 German companies operate in India.

China’s Fosun buys Thomas Cook brand name for $14.3 million

Chinese conglomerate Fosun on Friday said it is acquiring the Thomas Cook and related hotel brands for $14.3 million from the liquidators of the collapsed travel group. The deal also gives Fosun access to Thomas Cook trademarks, websites, social media accounts and software applications. Fosun was Thomas Cook’s largest shareholder and a key part of a failed rescue deal.

Elephant named after Osama bin Laden crushes 5 to death in 36 hours in Assam

An elephant nicknamed ‘Laden’ after ex-Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden trampled five people to death in 36 hours in a village in Assam’s Goalpara’s district. Forest officials are using drones to survey the forest and domesticated elephants to observe Laden. Assam Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said an eight-person committee including wildlife experts would decide what to do with Laden.

Govt releases new political map of India after J&K, Ladakh become UTs

The government today released the new political map of India, two days after Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh came into effect following bifurcation of J&K state. India now has 28 states and nine Union Territories. RK Mathur was sworn-in as the first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, while GC Murmu became the first Lieutenant Governor of J&K on October 31.

Zac Posen, who designed Gwyneth Paltrow’s gown, to shut his label

Designer Zac Posen, who designed Gwyneth Paltrow’s gown for the 2007 Oscars, is shutting down his namesake label. “The…team…worked extremely hard to navigate…increasingly challenging fashion….landscape. We’re…saddened that…journey of nearly 20 years has come to…end,” Zac said. He was awarded the Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2004.

Will send captured ISIS members back to home countries: Turkey

Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Saturday said that captured Islamic State (ISIS) members in Syria will be sent back to their home countries. Soylu reportedly said that it was irresponsible of Europe leaving Turkey to deal with the prisoners alone. Turkey launched an offensive in northeast Syria on October 9 to create a ‘safe zone’ for Syrian refugees.

Over 30 Pakistani migrants found in a lorry in France Over 30 Pakistani migrants were found hidden in a lorry in France near the Italian border, French prosecutors said on Saturday. The driver of the lorry was also from Pakistan and was detained by the authorities. “We will try and establish if we can trace it back to a network and backers,” the prosecutors’ office said.